MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Azeri counterpart Zakir Hasanov discussed clashes on the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russian news agencies cited the ministry as saying on Saturday.

More than a dozen soldiers have died in a military flare-up between the two long-feuding former Soviet countries.

“Also (Shoigu) informed his colleague about the start of a check of military preparedness per the order of the Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” TASS news agency cited the statement as saying.

(Writing by Polina Ivanova; editing by Jason Neely)

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