Russia has withdrawn border guards from the checkpoint at the Armenia-Iran border, according to ISW.

Russian border guards have abandoned the border checkpoint "Agarak" at the Armenia-Iran border. The Russians, alongside Armenians, had been present at this checkpoint for over 30 years.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine referencing a report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on December 30 that Armenian border troops have begun patrolling the "Agarak" checkpoint without Russian forces.

It is presumed that Russian border guards left the area in accordance with an agreement from October 2024 stating that Armenian border guards would resume control over the checkpoint starting January 1, 2025.

Pashinyan also added that Russian border guards had been operating at the "Agarak" checkpoint since 1991.

"The withdrawal of Russian border guards from the 'Agarak' checkpoint occurred five months after the Russian border guards completed their troop withdrawal from Yerevan's Zvartnots International Airport. This once again demonstrated Armenia's commitment to reducing bilateral security relations with Russia," noted the Institute for the Study of War.

Armenia's Relations with Russia

Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Armenia has been one of the closest allies of the Russian Federation for many years. In particular, Russian military assistance helped the country establish control over part of Nagorno-Karabakh in the first half of the 1990s and create the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" in the region.

After the peace treaty was signed in 1994, hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan ceased. However, clashes between Azerbaijani and Armenian border guards and military personnel erupted from time to time in the region.

The most extensive combat actions flared up again in 2020. Azerbaijan, with Turkey's support, pushed the line of demarcation in Nagorno-Karabakh and forced Armenian troops to retreat. Russia did not provide sufficient military support to Armenia, and since then, Yerevan has begun to scale 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. And in December, Pashinyan stated that the country has passed the point of no return regarding this organization.