Ivan Kovgan, the deputy commander of the Russian “peacekeeping contingent” in Karabakh was among the 8 Russian soldiers killed by the Azerbaijani Army yesterday. Kovgan was also the deputy commander of the submarine forces of the Russian Northern Fleet.

***

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has apologized for the deaths of Russian peacekeepers killed during Baku’s military campaign this week to regain control of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Kremlin said Thursday.

“[Aliyev] emphasized that the most thorough investigation into the incident will be carried out and all those responsible will be duly punished,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said one of its vehicles came under small-arms fire while returning from an observation post on Wednesday, near a Karabakh village that bears the Azeri name of Janyatag and the Armenian name of Chankatagh. 

“As a result of the shelling, the Russian servicemen in the vehicle were killed,” the ministry said without specifying the number of peacekeepers who perished.