Criminal cases have been initiated in Russia and Azerbaijan regarding the death of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, and the trial phase will begin soon. Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), stated this at Friday’s press briefing—and in response the question about the phase of the investigation into the shooting of the car of the Russian peacekeepers by the Azerbaijani armed forces and the resultant death of several Russian soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh, considering the fact that there is no information about these cases in the public domain. According to Russian MFA spox, the Prosecutor General's Offices and investigative bodies of Azerbaijan and Russia are in close contact on this matter, the investigation is ongoing within the framework of criminal cases, and detailed information will be publicized later. On September 20, 2023, during the Azerbaijani military aggression, while returning from their observation post in Nagorno-Karabakh, the car of several Russian peacekeepers was fired upon by the Azerbaijani military. As a result, five Russian soldiers were killed, among them the deputy commander of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, Captain Ivan Kovgan.