In Serov, woman extinguishes Eternal Flame with mourning wreath

On January 21, an incident occurred at a memorial in Serov, Sverdlovsk Oblast: a local woman extinguished the Eternal Flame using a mourning wreath.

Published footage shows her taking the wreath, bringing it to the burner, and then leaving the area. It remains unclear whether she intended to set the flowers on fire or deliberately extinguish the flame.

Regarding this incident, the Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code for desecration of a symbol of military glory and insulting the memory of defenders of the Fatherland. The perpetrator is being sought, and police officers are interviewing residents of nearby houses and reviewing footage from surveillance cameras.

«The situation is under the control of the leadership of the Sverdlovsk regional department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD). If any citizens have information about who could have done this at a sacred site, please inform us via the 24-hour hotline of the regional Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (GU MVD): 8(343)358-71-61,» said Valery Gorelykh, head of the press service of the GU MVD for Sverdlovsk Oblast.

The prosecutor«s office in Serov has also organized an inspection into this case.

Earlier in Kamensk-Uralsky, several schoolgirls came to the attention of law enforcement after roasting marshmallows on the Eternal Flame. The girls« parents were held administratively liable and fined.

In another incident that occurred in St. Petersburg, two young men from Yekaterinburg were detained for pouring alcoholic beverages on the Eternal Flame. These actions were also captured on video.