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Ukrainian City Digs Hundreds of Graves to Scare Residents Into Staying At Home

By Akinwale Akinyoade

10 April 2020   |   12:36 pm

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The novel coronavirus pandemic has left many countries taking different measures to protect a spread of the disease. Although Dnipro, a city in Ukraine has recorded only 13 coronavirus infections and no fatalities, its mayor Borys Filatov is leaving no "graves" unturned. Last week, Filatov instructed local authorities to dig over 600 fresh graved in…

Hundreds of graves dug in Dnipro

The novel coronavirus pandemic has left many countries taking different measures to protect a spread of the disease.

Although Dnipro, a city in Ukraine has recorded only 13 coronavirus infections and no fatalities, its mayor Borys Filatov is leaving no “graves” unturned.

Last week, Filatov instructed local authorities to dig over 600 fresh graved in the city cemeteries in preparation for the worst.

The graves are for the possible casualties to be recorded from the coronavirus outbreak.

Taking to his Facebook page, Filatov wrote:

“We are preparing for the worst. Not 400, but 600 graves were dug in the city cemeteries for the possible burial of the coronavirus dead. One-thousand thick plastic bags were bought for storing bodies,” Filatov wrote.

The Dnipro mayor’s spokeswoman, Yulia Vitvitska, confirmed to AFP that the city had dug 615 graves and readied 2,000 body bags in preparation for Covid-19 deaths.

Mayor Filatov also mentioned that medical workers will be prohibited from performing autopsies on people believed to have died from coronavirus infection.

Freshly dug graves in Dnipro

Filatov’s move is in a bid to ensure that the resident of Dnipro number almost one million people understand the dangers of ignoring social distancing measures.

Another tactic employed to give locals an idea of anticipated deaths, photos of hundreds of freshly dug graves in a large field surrounded by forest at a cemetery lined with orthodox crosses outside the city also started doing the rounds online.

There have since been mixed reactions to the mayor’s actions and statements as some accused him of creating more panic while others praised him for psychologically coercing people to be more cautious.

Filatov himself has been very unapologetic about his statements, saying:

“This is not panic, but logistics. God forbid we will need the graves and body bags.”