Site Selection for the National Military Memorial Cemetery
The Ukrainian Ministry for Veterans Affairs has initiated the process of selecting land plots in five pilot regions for the establishment of regional branches of the National Military Memorial Cemetery (NMMC). This move represents a significant step in expanding the cemetery's geographical reach, aiming to provide a dignified final resting place for the nation's defenders. The project and budget documentation for these sites is scheduled for approval by the end of 2026, with technical documentation and designs for the five plots slated for approval this year.
Actual operations at the regional NMMC branches will not commence before 2027. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the creation of this state institution in October 2022, a pivotal moment in honoring fallen service members. In May 2025, the official completion of the first launch complex of the cemetery's initial phase is planned for the Hatnenska community near Kyiv.
Key Milestones and Decisions
On August 29, 2025, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance, the first military burial ceremony for unknown soldiers was held at the NMMC. In July 2025, the company 'Paritybudinvest' was selected as the winner of the tender to construct the cemetery's second phase. According to Cabinet of Ministers Decree No. 190 dated February 11, 2026, amendments were made to the descriptions of grave structures and memorial plaques at the NMMC.
The first named burial at the cemetery took place on September 10, 2025, for defender Viktor Klymchuk. Another critical development was the ruling by the Supreme Court of Ukraine on January 29, 2026, which declared the transfer and change of designated use of a land plot in the Markhalivskyi forest in the Kyiv region—land allocated for the NMMC—to be illegal. This underscores the legal complexities involved in securing land for memorials to Ukrainian military personnel.
The establishment of the National Military Memorial Cemetery is part of Ukraine's broader national effort to honor its fallen soldiers and provide their families with a dignified place for burial. This initiative reflects the immense human cost of the ongoing conflict. The planned expansion into pilot regions demonstrates the state's growing focus on veteran and military affairs, as well as its commitment to ensuring legal and social support for the country's defenders.