On June 18, Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that Moscow had sent a note of protest to Yerevan following the desecration of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Great Patriotic War in Gyumri. Zakharova described the incident as "not simply hooliganism, but a targeted attack on the shared historical memory of our countries and an attempt to desecrate the Great Victory," adding that Russia had formally conveyed its protest to the Armenian side. She also noted that servicemen from the 102nd Russian military base in Gyumri had immediately taken part in restoring the memorial.

According to Zakharova, certain government-affiliated media outlets in Armenia were attempting to blame Russia for the incident, while she expressed surprise that the Armenian authorities had not issued a firm condemnation. She stated that their silence was "becoming a tradition," and referenced, as an example, recent statements by Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Yerevan, which she claimed were not addressed by Armenian officials. Zakharova further argued that what she described as tolerance toward such incidents, combined with what she called an "anti-Russian campaign" during Armenia’s parliamentary elections, created conditions that encouraged such acts. She also claimed that some media outlets tried to portray the incident as a Russian provocation.

In her remarks, Zakharova additionally commented on Armenia’s foreign policy direction, linking the incident to what she described as Yerevan’s distancing from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and its cooperation with NATO, including the "Eagle Partner 2026" exercises. She stated that Armenia’s participation in such drills with NATO countries was "regrettable" and claimed that the exercises were becoming systematic.

Zakharova argued that these exercises lacked peacekeeping objectives and suggested that NATO’s purpose was to expand influence in Armenia and reshape its military standards. She claimed that Armenian forces could be trained under scenarios that include confrontation with Russia, describing this as a development that was previously unimaginable. She further stated that Western engagement in Armenia could lead to increased geopolitical tensions in the South Caucasus, warning that such cooperation would not contribute to regional stability but instead could create new dividing lines and risks.