Russian peacekeeping troops deployed In Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) on Wednesday, August 30 tried to cross the contact line to territories controlled by Azerbaijan but the locals prevented the attempt.

The people of Karabakh had suspicions that the Russians were plotting to fetch food from Azerbaijan amid the latter’s 8-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Azerbaijan has blocked access to both French and Armenian humanitarian convoys attempting to reach Nagorno-Karabakh. Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population. On August 15, Karabakh Human Rights Defender’s office reported the first case of death from starvation.