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Azerbaijan Russian Troop Withdrawal
The continued presence of Russian forces in Azerbaijan became
problematic when Russian troops were alleged to have assisted
Armenians in an attack that killed hundreds of civilians in the
town of Khodzhaly, in southwestern Azerbaijan, in February 1992.
In the face of widespread demands from the political opposition
in Baku, components of a 62,000-member Russian force began to
withdraw from Azerbaijan almost immediately. Striking a contrast
to the protracted withdrawal of Russian troops from the Baltic
states, the last Russian unit, the 104th Airborne Division,
withdrew from Azerbaijan in May 1993, about a year ahead of the
schedule that the two countries had set in 1992.
According to an agreement between Russia and the
Transcaucasian states calling for distribution of former Soviet
military assets among the participating parties, Azerbaijan would
receive most of the matériel of the 4th Army that had been
stationed there, together with part of the Caspian Flotilla. The
Russians destroyed or removed much of their weaponry upon
withdrawing, but a substantial amount was stolen, exchanged, or
handed over to Azerbaijani forces. Some Russians answered appeals
from Azerbaijani military leaders to serve in the Azerbaijani
armed forces. By agreement with Russia, many former members of
the Soviet Border Guards also continued their duties under
Azerbaijani jurisdiction, with Russian assistance in training and
weapons supplies. In January 1994, Russia and Azerbaijan
discussed possible use of Russian forces to bolster Azerbaijan's
border defenses.
Data as of March 1994
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