On 20 September 2023, the Azerbaijani government reached a ceasefire agreement with Armenia-backed separatist forces in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the day after the Azerbaijani military launched an offensive in the region. The truce — mediated by a Russian peacekeeping force — came into effect at 1300 local time (0900 UTC). According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense, separatist forces have agreed to leave their combat positions and surrender their weapons. Further negotiations between ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani officials are scheduled to take place in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh on 21 September.