Bern Convention Bureau opposes military cemetery in Markhalivsky Forest – Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center
The Bureau of the Bern Convention under the Council of Europe has voiced strong opposition to the allocation of the Markhalivsky Forest for the construction of a military memorial cemetery, the Ukrainian authorities have been informed.
This was reported by the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center, citing the Bureau's response to a complaint filed by defenders of the forest, which is part of the international Emerald Network of protected areas.
"In particular, the Bureau of the Bern Convention questioned why the authorities decided to build a military cemetery specifically within an Emerald Network site. The Bureau believes that allocating even a small portion of the land does not justify the destruction of protected habitats or the lack of a mandatory environmental impact assessment. It called for an immediate halt to logging and requested additional information on emergency trees and affected areas," the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center stated on Facebook.
The Bureau also invited the authorities to identify alternative locations outside the Emerald Network and to conduct an assessment of the potential impact on species that may be affected by the cemetery's construction. It also raised concerns about the implementation of the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal's ruling on January 16, 2025, which invalidated Cabinet Resolution No. 225 on the cemetery's construction.
On January 16, 2025, a panel of judges at the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge L.V. Belova, ruled in favor of the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center's lawsuit, declaring null and void Cabinet Resolution No. 225 dated March 1, 2024. The resolution, titled "Certain Issues of Tree, Shrub, Lawn, and Flowerbed Removal During the Preparation and/or Construction and Operation of the National Military Memorial Cemetery," had authorized widespread deforestation in the Markhalivsky Forest.
Thus, the appeals court deemed the Cabinet resolution unlawful, effectively suspending the massive tree felling operations in the forest carried out to make way for the military cemetery.
"In other words, the construction of the military memorial cemetery in Markhalivsky Forest, overseen by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, is illegal and must be halted. A new location must be found immediately. Otherwise, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs will have to deal with the Council of Europe," the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center said.