2020 Ghazanchetsots Cathedral shelling

Overview

The 2020 shelling of Ghazanchetsots Cathedral took place prior to the Battle of Shusha on 8 October, when the Holy Savior Cathedral of the city of Shusha, known as Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, was struck twice by missiles, resulting in the collapse of a part of the roof. Armenia accused the Azerbaijani Armed Forces over the shelling.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The shelling of Ghazanchetsots Cathedral on 8 October 2020 became one of the most internationally noted incidents of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The Holy Savior Cathedral in Shusha, struck twice by missiles with part of its roof collapsing, drew condemnation focused on the protection of cultural and religious heritage in the conflict. Armenia attributed the strikes to the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. The incident preceded the Battle of Shusha, a decisive engagement in the war, situating the cathedral shelling within the broader contest for a city of profound symbolic importance to both Armenians and Azerbaijanis.