Russian border guards have left the Agarak border checkpoint on the Armenia-Iran border. The Russians, along with Armenians, had been stationed at this checkpoint for over 30 years, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on December 30 that Armenian border troops had begun patrolling the Agarak checkpoint without Russian forces.
It is likely that the Russian border guards left the area in accordance with an agreement from October 2024, which stated that Armenian border guards would resume control of the checkpoint starting January 1, 2025.
Pashinyan also added that Russian border guards had been stationed at the Agarak checkpoint since 1991.
“Russia’s withdrawal from Agarak checkpoint comes five months after Russian border guards completed withdrew from Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport and further showcases Armenia’s commitment to reducing bilateral security relations with Russia,” the ISW noted.
Armenia’s relations with Russia
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has been one of Russia’s closest allies. Russian military forces helped the country establish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s and created the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic in the region.
After the signing of a peace treaty in 1994, fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan ceased. However, sporadic clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian border guards and military forces continued in the region.
The most significant combat resumed in 2020. Azerbaijan, supported by Türkiye, pushed back the front lines in Nagorno-Karabakh and forced Armenian troops to retreat. Russia did not provide sufficient military support to Armenia, and since then, Yerevan has been scaling back its close partnership with Moscow.
In June 2024, Pashinyan announced Armenia’s intention to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
In September, the Armenian government froze its participation at all levels in the CSTO. In December, Pashinyan declared that the country had passed the point of no return regarding its membership in the organization.
