The former commander of the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov, has given a positive assessment of the work of the Russian troops in the region

Attending a military event in Makhachkala, Muradov said his assessment is evidenced by civilian life being "in full swing" in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

"Very complex issues remain, of course, but the process is underway - the return of people, the solution of a number of problematic issues. So I think everything will be fine," the military official said, according to TASS.

He added that the Russian peacekeepers will stay on the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh for five years after the 44-day war unleashed by Azerbaijan in late 2020. “Subsequently, a decision will be made on the further extension of the [mandate of the] Russian peacekeeping contingent, ”Muradov added.

The Russian peacekeepers were deployed in Karabakh on November 10 when Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.