Russian news agency "Tass" reported today that the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that delegations from the defense ministries of both Azerbaijan and Armenia arrived in Tula, Russia, to attend a meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States. According to the agency, the meeting will involve delegations from the defense ministries of Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It added that during the meeting, they will discuss a range of issues related to military and military-technical cooperation of mutual interest. There will also be an exchange of views on the current military and political situation in the world.
On another note, the Azerbaijani army arrested the former commander of the Armenian separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, Levon Mnatsakanyan, at a border checkpoint with Armenia. Mnatsakanyan led the army of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh from 2015 to 2018. Additionally, Azerbaijan's presidential advisor's office stated that the country intends to allow a group of United Nations experts to visit the Karabakh region "within days."
For its part, Kavita Belani, an official at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, explained that "more than 88,000 people have crossed the border into Armenia from the Karabakh region, and the total number may rise to 120,000," calling for support as authorities struggle to handle the influx of refugees. In a press conference, Belani stated, "Large crowds of tired and frightened people are gathering at registration centers." She added, "This is the situation they lived in during nine months of blockade... When they arrived, they were overwhelmed with anxiety and fear and wanted answers." Earlier today, the Russian news agency reported the Armenian government saying, "More than 84,700 people have crossed the border into Armenia from the Azerbaijani Karabakh region." The exodus of Armenians from Karabakh began after the collapse of the separatist government in the region last week.
