Police Debunk Russian Embassy's Claims Regarding Cemetery of Imperial Soldiers

Bratislava, September 16 (TASR) – The police on Friday pointed to information that is being spread by the Russian embassy in Slovakia regarding the cemetery of Imperial Russian Army soldiers in the village of Ladomirova in Presov region, calling it a hoax.

The police explained that the embassy has released a status on Facebook about a recent visit of Russian Ambassador to Slovakia Igor Bratchikov to the cemetery, claiming that the graves of the soldiers have been “razed to the ground by an excavator” at the behest of Ladomirova mayor Vladislav Cuper. In this vein, the embassy claimed that it was sending a diplomatic note to the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry over the alleged incident.

“The Russian Ambassador to Slovakia Igor Bratchikov is lying about the situation at the cemetery of Imperial Russian Army soldiers in the village of Ladomirova in Presov region, exposing the Ladomirova mayor to death threats,” police said on their Facebook account.

Meanwhile, the village mayor has also denied the embassy’s claims. “This is false information. The graves have remained in their places. It should be noted that the graves had concrete kerbs which were falling apart and could not be maintained. The village of Ladomirova, as the administrator of the cemetery, has been doing its utmost to ensure that the cemetery looks like a well-kept memorial site for the deceased soldiers of the Russian Federation and visitors,” Cuper stated on the official website of Ladomirova, explaining that the village has actually been trying to renovate the site. The mayor added that he regrets the manner in which the matter has been portrayed in the media, claiming that he has received a number of threats, including death ones.

According to the police, the mayor has been advised to visit the nearest police station. “We are monitoring the situation. We won’t provide any more information on this case for the time being,” they added.