Russian officer killed in explosion in Nagorno-Karabakh as troops help de-mine post-war landscape

A Russian sapper has been killed in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, after an explosive device went off during the de-mining efforts that have been ongoing since the Moscow-brokered truce between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The incident happened on Thursday on the road outside of the village of Shusha, with the blast delivering heavy wounds to the officer, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

The serviceman received emergency treatment on site, but succumbed to his injures while being transported to hospital, the ministry stated.

Russian sappers have been working in Nagorno-Karabakh for more than a month, after Moscow brokered an armistice between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The decades-long feud over the disputed region escalated into a war in early September.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Russian peacekeepers were deployed to the area to separate the sides and prevent any provocations.

Russian sappers working in Nagorno-Karabakh have already defused some 7,800 explosive devices, clearing 218 hectares of land, 92 kilometers of roads and 423 buildings, according to Friday’s briefing by the military.

Over 40,000 people have safely made it back to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh through the Lachin corridor, guarded by the Russian peacekeepers, it said.

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