The country’s Defense Ministry said that the ceasefire became effective at the eastern border with Azerbaijan at 6:30 pm on November 16 in accordance with the agreement reached through the mediation of the Russian side.

The ministry said that the situation has relatively stabilized at the moment.

Armenia’s military authorities added that information about the dead and wounded is being currently summarized.

“At this moment there are verified data about one victim, private Meruzhan Harutiunian, a contract soldier born in 1991. The number of wounded soldiers is also being verified. A total of 12 Armenian servicemen were taken prisoner,” the ministry said.

Earlier reports suggested that as many as 15 Armenian soldiers may have been killed during the fighting.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the country’s Security Council today, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian described the latest escalation at the border as Azerbaijan’s direct aggression against Armenia’s sovereign territory. He urged Armenia’s international partners to clearly condemn this aggression.

Azerbaijan has denied committing any aggression against Armenia, insisting that the latest border escalation is a result of provocations and an attack by the Armenian side.

Earlier, Armenia appealed to Russia, its key military and political ally, for assistance in defending against Azerbaijan.

It was reported that Pashinian had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin said the current situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was discussed during the phone call initiated by the Armenian side.

“The sides agreed to continue contacts regarding this issue,” the report said.

Also, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu had separate telephone conversations with his Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts.

Also today President of the European Council Charles Michel called both Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss the developments.

Before the phone call, Michel said on Twitter that the situation in the region remained “challenging,” and that the “EU is committed to work with partners to overcome tensions for a prosperous and stable South Caucasus.”

The Foreign Ministry of France, meanwhile, expressed concern over the border incidents between Armenia and Azerbaijan, urging the two sides to respect the ceasefire agreement.

In its turn, the Foreign Ministry of Iran called on the two sides to respect internationally recognized borders. Tehran also expressed readiness to help Armenia and Azerbaijan in the matter of resolving their differences.

The United Nations also called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve issues through dialogue.

In contrast, Turkey has again openly sided with Azerbaijan in its standoff with Armenia. In a phone call with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov reported by Azerbaijani media, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that “Turkey, as always, supports Azerbaijan.”

Armenia and Azerbaijan waged a 44-day war over Nagorno-Karabakh last year. The hostilities in which nearly 7,000 people were killed were halted due to a Moscow-brokered ceasefire agreement that reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s territorial gains and brought about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to the areas of the region remaining under the control of local ethnic Armenian forces.

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