On 27 September 2020,
clashes broke out in the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is
de facto controlled by the self-proclaimed and unrecognized
Republic of Artsakh, but
de jure part of
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani forces first advanced into
Fuzuli and
Jabrayil districts, taking their respective administrative centres. From there, they proceeded towards
Hadrut. Azerbaijani troops began to advance more intensively after the
fall of Hadrut around 15 October, and Armenians began to retreat, with Azerbaijanis then taking control of
Zangilan and Qubadli. Launching an
offensive for Lachin, they also penetrated
Shusha District through its forests and mountain passes. Following
the capture of
Shusha, the second-largest settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh, a
ceasefire agreement was signed between the President of Azerbaijan,
Ilham Aliyev, the Prime Minister of Armenia,
Nikol Pashinyan, and the President of Russia,
Vladimir Putin, ending all hostilities in the area from 00:00 on 10 November 2020
Moscow Time. Under the agreement, the warring sides will keep control of their currently held areas within Nagorno-Karabakh, while Armenia returned the surrounding territories it occupied in 1994 to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will also gain land access to its
Nakhchivan exclave bordering
Turkey and
Iran. Approximately 2,000 Russian soldiers were deployed as peacekeeping forces along the Lachin corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh for a mandate of at least five years. == Institution of the holiday ==