"This is a war crime against the civilian population of Azerbaijan. Armenia is an aggressor."
The senior priest of the Alexander Nevsky Church in Ganja, Bartholomew Sotnikov, said commenting on Azerbaijan's peaceful cities' shelling by the Armenian armed forces.
"War must be waged between soldiers. In contrast, the terrorists are fighting with the civilian population. Shelling of the ancient city Ganja by Armenia proved it. Children, women, and the elderly were injured. The civilian population is not to blame for anything. Our prayer today was dedicated to the establishment of peace on our land, on our occupied lands. So that these Armenian aggressors calmly leave our lands. I am Russian by nationality, but I was born and raised here. Ganja is my hometown. Not only did people suffer from the Armenian shelling, but also religious buildings were damaged, in particular, our Christian Church."
The rector also noted that the church prays for peace and tranquility to reign in the Azerbaijani land.
"We don't want war. I appeal to the entire world community, and those countries, which want a just cause in every possible way, do not interfere and understand what Azerbaijan has endured for 30 years. It should have been the end of it. Azerbaijani soldiers delight us every day with another victory, liberating our native lands occupied 30 years ago. I want to wish our people to go forward with victory," the cleric expressed hope.