New Delhi, Aug. 29 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry accused the Armenian government on Friday of continuing to issue statements that damage bilateral relations between Yerevan and Moscow, singling out remarks by Armenian Security Council Secretary Alen Simonyan as the latest example of what it called a sustained pattern of provocation.

a reference to Russians seeking to evade military service in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

"We note with regret that the trend of representatives of official Yerevan is continuing to issue public statements that undermine bilateral cooperation with Moscow," Zakharova said.

She went further, framing Simonyan's remarks as evidence of Yerevan's broader strategic orientation. The Armenian official's statement...