The decision to charge cars for entering a local cemetery in Drohobych was made several years before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At that time, the Drohobych Local Council executive committee stated that the cemetery is not a place for cars to drive through, and all the money received from cars entering the cemetery will be invested in its improvement and maintenance. No fee has ever been nor will be introduced for visiting the graves of fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
Kremlin news outlets have begun spreading the news that one must pay a fee to visit the graves of the fallen Ukrainian soldiers. These fake stories further allege that the reason behind this is to conceal the real number of losses.
“The Kyiv regime continues to keep quiet about the number of Ukrainian casualties on the front line. In order to conceal the real number of losses, a fee for visiting the graves of soldiers has been set at one of the Ukrainian cemeteries,” writes NewsFront.
“If you want to visit the grave of a loved one who was used as human fodder at Bakhmut – pay,” Telegram channels write.
This disinformation is based on one online video, where the relatives of a deceased serviceman want to enter the cemetery and refuse to pay, and the security guard says that he can only let in military personnel, not their relatives. The video caused outrage among social media users and was later picked up by Russian propaganda, which distorted its context.
In response to the emotional public reaction, the Drohobych City Council published an explanation of why there is an entrance fee to the local cemetery and where the money goes. A local council representative said that after the road to the cemetery was repaired, cars and motorcycles drove arbitrarily through its territory, ‘occasionally organizing races.’
“The introduction of paid entry for cars to the cemetery limited the excessive movement of vehicles and ensured peace and order on the territory,” the Drohobych City Council noted. Also, the communal Municipal Administration Service reported that the funds raised by the entrance fee are used to improve the cemetery. Fees of 20 hryvnias for passenger cars and 120 for large cars that install monuments were introduced a few years ago, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Previously, StopFake debunked Russian disinformation that Ukraine will allegedly ban photo and video recordings at cemeteries.
