The Kremlin confirmed on Wednesday that Russian peacekeepers have begun withdrawing from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was responding to a question about reports of a withdrawal in Azerbaijani media. "Yes, it really is the case," Peskov told reporters.

Azerbaijan retook the mountainous region in September 2023 from the Armenian separatists, who had controlled the region for three decades.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over the disputed region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. In December 2023, the two countries reached an agreement on taking confidence-building steps by releasing prisoners of war following their first-ever direct negotiations with no mediators.

(With input from agencies)