The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and a group of benefactors have been holding more than 10 New Year events per day for the children of Askeran, Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), the Ministry of Defense reports.

Specialists of the Humanitarian Response Center have already congratulated more than 1,700 children from kindergartens and schools in the remote settlements of Askeran, located near the line of contact.

“Children received New Year's gifts, toys, sweets. I also express my gratitude to the kids for the magical New Year's matinee. The New Year's events in Askeran region will continue tomorrow,” said Alexander Kudrin, a representative of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

The Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the region on November 10, immediately after 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.