Information about the destruction of the cathedral, which was consecrated in 2019, appeared in the Armenian media back in April, and satellite photos published by Radio Free Europe further confirm those allegations. According to the available recordings, the Church of St. James was also destroyed. The cathedral was the main place of worship for Christians in the city.
The Mother See of Saint Etchmiadzin accused Azerbaijan of deliberately targeting Armenian religious sites in order to erase traces of the Armenian presence.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region, with a majority Armenian population until 2023, was under the control of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh after the first war, but was taken over by Azerbaijani forces the same year.
Most of the Armenians then left the area and fled to Armenia. Although the territory is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, tensions remain, particularly over the issue of detained Armenian separatists.
(Vijesti.ba)
