Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill I sent a condolence message to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in connection with the explosion in Yerevan's "Surmalu" shopping center. The message reads as follows,

"It was with great sadness that I received the news about the tragedy that happened in the shopping center of Yerevan. Many people died and were injured as a result of the fire and the collapse of the building.

I deeply sympathize with the fraternal people of Armenia and ask you to convey my words of condolence to all those who were affected by that terrible disaster, especially those who lost their relatives and friends. I want to assure you that the Russian Orthodox Church, in the person of the clergy, and the Yerevan-Armenian Eparchy, in the person of the believers, are ready to provide moral support to all those who need it.

May the philanthropic God receive the souls of the deceased with mercy, comfort the bereaved and grant the injured a speedy recovery."