Authorities in Russia’s St. Petersburg plan a large-scale modernization of the city’s crematorium, which is set to become the largest in Europe, according to a report by The Moscow Times. The planned expansion comes as Russia faces record battlefield casualties in Ukraine — the heaviest losses since World War II, according to Western intelligence estimates. The St. Petersburg crematorium, the only such facility not just in the city but across the Leningrad, Novgorod, and Pskov regions as well as neighboring Karelia, has already faced rising demand. Documents from the government’s procurement website show that the design stage alone has cost 207 million rubles (about $2.2 million). The project envisions additional refrigeration units for body storage, new funeral halls with hydraulic coffin lifts, and upgraded lighting domes.