According to a statement released Thursday by the Russian diplomatic mission in the Caucasus country, Moscow is outraged by the desecration of the “Mother Armenia” monument in Gyumri, dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, and stressed that such a blasphemous act cannot be considered a mere act of vandalism.
The Embassy statement reads: “We note strong opposition to what happened from the municipal authorities and the people of Gyumri.
We expect a clear assessment of the incident by the Armenian authorities, as well as the adoption of comprehensive measures to hold those responsible accountable and prevent similar provocations in the future.”
According to diplomatic sources, the act of vandalism was reported on May 10. Unknown individuals tore off the golden letters spelling out the names of World War II hero cities on the “Mother Armenia” monument in Gyumri.
Russia expects Yerevan to officially assess the incident and take measures to prevent similar acts from recurring.
Meanwhile, the Russian ambassador to Yerevan, Sergey Kopyrkin, described the statements made by the former spokesman for the Armenian Ministry of Defense regarding the Battle of Stalingrad as a blasphemous attempt to desecrate the memory of those who fought against Nazism.
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