diff --git a/app/graphql/mutations/container_repositories/destroy.rb b/app/graphql/mutations/container_repositories/destroy.rb
index f05d79ee08d3be7712e75c55e355c578a3bd419b..3f59e1b396aea58d87ef05f19f1cca769155dd8f 100644
--- a/app/graphql/mutations/container_repositories/destroy.rb
+++ b/app/graphql/mutations/container_repositories/destroy.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ class Destroy < ::Mutations::ContainerRepositories::DestroyBase
       def resolve(id:)
         container_repository = authorized_find!(id: id)
 
+        if protected_for_delete?(container_repository)
+          return {
+            container_repository: container_repository,
+            errors: ['Deleting the protected repository path is forbidden']
+          }
+        end
+
         container_repository.delete_scheduled! && audit_event(container_repository)
 
         track_event(:delete_repository, :container)
@@ -35,6 +42,19 @@ def resolve(id:)
       def audit_event(repository)
         # defined in EE
       end
+
+      def protected_for_delete?(container_repository)
+        return false unless Feature.enabled?(:container_registry_protected_containers_delete,
+          container_repository.project&.root_ancestor)
+
+        service_response = ::ContainerRegistry::Protection::CheckRuleExistenceService.for_delete(
+          current_user: current_user,
+          project: container_repository.project,
+          params: { repository_path: container_repository.path.to_s }
+        ).execute
+
+        service_response.success? && service_response[:protection_rule_exists?]
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/graphql/mutations/container_repository/destroy_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/graphql/mutations/container_repository/destroy_spec.rb
index 833fc6f4e9dc7b38346990dae79d1d5c4b48845c..71cb537ae4eb76651372def788b4f1592ec8ee83 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/graphql/mutations/container_repository/destroy_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/graphql/mutations/container_repository/destroy_spec.rb
@@ -139,5 +139,61 @@
         it_behaves_like 'destroying the container repository'
       end
     end
+
+    context 'with delete protection rule', :enable_admin_mode do
+      let_it_be(:maintainer) { create(:user, maintainer_of: [project]) }
+      let_it_be(:owner) { create(:user, owner_of: [project]) }
+      let_it_be(:instance_admin) { create(:admin) }
+
+      let_it_be_with_reload(:container_registry_protection_rule) do
+        create(:container_registry_protection_rule, project: project)
+      end
+
+      before do
+        container_registry_protection_rule.update!(
+          repository_path_pattern: container_repository.path,
+          minimum_access_level_for_delete: minimum_access_level_for_delete
+        )
+      end
+
+      shared_examples 'protected deletion of container repository' do
+        it_behaves_like 'returning response status', :success
+
+        it 'returns error message' do
+          subject
+
+          expect(mutation_response).to include 'errors' => ['Deleting the protected repository path is forbidden']
+        end
+
+        context 'when feature flag :container_registry_protected_containers_delete is disabled' do
+          before do
+            stub_feature_flags(container_registry_protected_containers_delete: false)
+          end
+
+          it_behaves_like 'destroying the container repository'
+        end
+      end
+
+      where(:minimum_access_level_for_delete, :current_user, :expected_shared_example) do
+        nil         | ref(:maintainer)     | 'destroying the container repository'
+        nil         | ref(:owner)          | 'destroying the container repository'
+
+        :maintainer | ref(:maintainer)     | 'destroying the container repository'
+        :maintainer | ref(:owner)          | 'destroying the container repository'
+        :maintainer | ref(:instance_admin) | 'destroying the container repository'
+
+        :owner      | ref(:maintainer)     | 'protected deletion of container repository'
+        :owner      | ref(:owner)          | 'destroying the container repository'
+        :owner      | ref(:instance_admin) | 'destroying the container repository'
+
+        :admin      | ref(:maintainer)     | 'protected deletion of container repository'
+        :admin      | ref(:owner)          | 'protected deletion of container repository'
+        :admin      | ref(:instance_admin) | 'destroying the container repository'
+      end
+
+      with_them do
+        it_behaves_like params[:expected_shared_example]
+      end
+    end
   end
 end