Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that ethnic Armenians fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh have nothing to fear, according to AFP.
"It is difficult to say who is responsible (for the exodus), there is no direct reason for such actions. However, people still express a desire to leave... those who make such decisions must be provided with normal living conditions," Mr. Peskov stressed.
Armenia says about 70,000 of Nagorno-Karabakh's 120,000 population have fled, after Azerbaijani forces took control of the region on September 20 following a lightning military operation that began on September 19.
Children sit on the sidewalk as people gather in central Stepanakert to leave Nagorno-Karabakh on September 25.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said it wanted ethnic Armenians to stay in Nagorno-Karabakh. "We call on Armenians not to leave their homes and to become part of Azerbaijan's multi-ethnic society," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry stressed.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has previously warned of "ethnic cleansing" in the region and called on the international community to act.
Ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh lay down arms, seek escape
Mr Pashinyan has criticised Russian peacekeepers for not intervening when Azerbaijan launched a lightning offensive to regain control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Russia has denied the allegations.
The separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh region has agreed to dissolve its government and officially become part of Azerbaijan by the end of the year, according to AFP.
After the announcement, Mr. Peskov said: "We have taken note of this and are closely monitoring the situation. Our peacekeeping forces continue to support the people."
Nagorno-Karabakh initially declared independence from Azerbaijan in the 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. However, the breakaway enclave has a majority ethnic Armenian population and is supported by the government in Yerevan.
Azerbaijan recaptured much of Nagorno-Karabakh and its surroundings after a 2020 war. Moscow deployed nearly 2,000 peacekeepers to the Nagorno-Karabakh region after a 2020 ceasefire.
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