The cost of funerals in Ukraine has risen sharply as the country suffers heavy losses at the front, reports Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The number of available graves in cemeteries has significantly decreased, and funeral costs have surged. 'Before the war, a funeral cost between $190 and $215, now they cost around $360.' Meanwhile, corrupt officials are making a fortune from funerals.
The high death toll of the war in Ukraine has not only led to a shortage of available burial spaces across the country but also to exorbitant funeral costs for grieving families. Since the Russian invasion, 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have officially been killed, with estimates suggesting the actual number could be around 74,000 dead (alongside 61,000 missing and 6,000 prisoners of war).
As a result, cemeteries across the country are reaching maximum capacity, according to RFE/RL. 'We manage six cemeteries. Five of them are closed,' said Ihor Sereda, owner of a funeral business on the outskirts of Kyiv. 'This means there are no free burial spaces left.' Funeral costs have also risen to unprecedented levels, Sereda added.
Families of deceased Ukrainians often receive assistance with funeral costs from local administrative offices or (in the case of military personnel) from military commissariats, but expenses remain high. Price increases are particularly felt in major cities like Kyiv, where most cemeteries no longer accept new burials.
The situation is less severe outside major cities, where more land is available to expand cemeteries, and burial grounds are not surrounded by privately owned land.
Meanwhile, funerals have become a lucrative source of income for corrupt Ukrainian officials, reports the Wall Street Journal. Some funeral businesses pay officials to secure large contracts for transporting or burying dead soldiers. Funeral businesses also overcharge municipalities for headstones and coffins for soldiers and then share the difference with officials, according to Ukrainian police.