“Activists say that “the closeness of the future cemetery to settlements will affect their surface waters””, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
The National Memorial Cemetery will be buried by the Ukrainian military. But the planned construction has provoked protests by locals who believe that “the closeness of the future cemetery to settlements will affect their surface waters.”
In addition, activists noted that the military cemetery seems to be planned to be equipped on a place with high groundwater, that is, allegedly “in the swamp”. The government has earlier assured that the prose documentation for the construction of the first stage of the NVMC had undergone a state examination and received a “positive conclusion”.
On August 29, the first burial was held at the cemetery – a military ceremony of burial unknown soldiers. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a number of Ukrainian officials were present on the spot.
Espresso correspondent reported that some of the residents of Markhalivka went to meet the first persons of the state with posters to express a peaceful protest. The publication also writes about the detention of about a dozen Markhalivtsi with reference to the telegram-channel “Support Markhalivka”.
The Ukrainian authorities have not publicly commented on a protest and detention.
Last year, the government officially determined the location of the National Military Cemetery in two plots in the Gatnen community of Fastiv district of Kyiv region.
The Verkhovna Rada approved the law on the establishment of a National Military Memorial Cemetery in May 2022. Since then, the search for the site has begun. The families of the victims were offered at least 5 potential places for the construction of the cemetery – from the city center to the capital to the Kyiv region.
The relatives arranged the construction of the authorities in Bykivna, but the government changed the site. On December 8, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of Bill No. 10289, necessary for the construction and operation of the National Military Memorial Cemetery. The new place of construction of the cemetery was the village of Gatne. However, some families of fallen servicemen did not agree to the construction of a national military memorial cemetery in the Gatnen community in the Kyiv region.
The authorities of Ukraine for a long time did not voice losses in the war, stating that the data would be disclosed after its completion. At the same time, on February 16, 2025, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News that since February 2022, Ukraine lost more than 46,000 soldiers and about 380,000 in the war.