A criminal investigation has been launched over the removal of the golden letters displaying the names of Hero Cities from the Mother Armenia memorial complex in Gyumri, according to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, as reported by Factor.am .

The proceedings were initiated on suspicion of destroying or damaging a historical or cultural monument.

At this stage, no suspects have been detained.

Earlier, the Gyumri Municipality reported that municipal workers had discovered the missing letters inside a garbage container.

“Municipal service employees found the letters in a garbage bin in the morning. As a result of the removal of the inscriptions, large holes and damage appeared on the stone surfaces. Efforts are now underway to arrange the letters in the correct order and reinstall them,” the municipality said.

Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs did not rule out the possibility that the incident may have contained elements of a provocation.

“The police of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are taking measures to clarify the circumstances of the incident and identify the persons who apparently committed the crime,” ministry spokesperson Narek Sargsyan said.

Earlier, the Russian Embassy in Armenia stated that it was deeply outraged by the desecration of the Mother Armenia memorial complex dedicated to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and said it expects a clear assessment of the incident from the Armenian authorities.