Russia’s Defense Ministry has refused the Armenian Prime Minister’s claim that forces have trapped Russian peacekeepers along with Armenian soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The information about the alleged encirclement of Russian peacekeeping forces by any parties in Nagorno-Karabakh is not true,” the ministry stressed, adding that the peacekeepers are operating in the region in the context of the agreement between the governments of Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

“The Russian peacekeeping contingent headquarters is in permanent contact with general staffs of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Armed Forces via direct communication channels to ensure compliance with peacekeeping tasks and prevent possible incidents,” the Russian Defense Ministry added.