Russian peacekeepers have accompanied the buses carrying displaced persons who were returning to Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] from Armenia, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Sunday.

"859 people returned from [Armenia’s capital] Yerevan to [Artsakh’s capital] Stepanakert by buses today. The travel of the buses was carried out escorted by the Russian peacekeeping contingent and the military police service. The Russian peacekeepers have ensured the civilian buses’ transportation along the line of contact to Stepanakert for the refugees to return to their homes," the Russian Defense Ministry statement said.

More than 34,000 refugees have returned so far to Nagorno-Karabakh as place of their permanent residence.

On November 9, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a joint statement on a complete cessation of hostilities— which Azerbaijan had launched on September 27—in and around Artsakh. Accordingly, Russian peacekeepers are deployed in the region to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities.