Journalist Roshchyna will be awarded a state award posthumously after the completion of the examination
Kyiv • UNN
Victoria Roshchyna will be awarded a state award after the completion of examinations of her body. The journalist died in captivity, and her body was returned with traces of torture.
Currently, examinations are still underway regarding Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, whose body with numerous traces of torture was returned by Russia only in February of this year. As soon as they are completed, the President will award Roshchyna with a state award, the decision on this has already been made. UNN reports this with reference to the Office of the President.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has already killed 125 media workers, and dozens more Ukrainian journalists are still in Russian captivity. Ukraine is doing everything possible to release them and return them home. But, unfortunately, even the name on the exchange lists is not a guarantee of return. Viktoria Roshchyna died in captivity despite the fact that Russia undertook to release her
Details
The journalist covered the situation on the front line and in the temporarily occupied territories. She was detained twice by the Russian occupiers: the first time in March 2022, the second time in August 2023.
The death of Viktoria Roshchyna became known on October 10 last year, when she was already on the exchange lists. Her body with numerous traces of torture was returned by Russia only in February of this year. Since then, all relevant examinations have been ongoing. As soon as they are completed, the President will award Viktoria Roshchyna with a state award, the decision on this has already been made
On the occasion of Journalist's Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree awarding more than 30 media workers with orders and medals.
Among those awarded are journalists, presenters, editors and cameramen who cover the war on the front line and in places of Russian shelling and tell the world the truth about Ukraine's struggle against Russian aggression, joined the Security and Defense Forces, survived captivity, as well as those who were injured as a result of Russian aggression while performing their professional duties, and those who, unfortunately, died for Ukraine.
The Order of Merit II degree was awarded to Reuters cameraman in Ukraine Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdei. He covered the Revolution of Dignity, the Russian occupation of Crimea, the liberation of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk in 2014. Together with his colleagues, he ended up in the "Ilovaisk cauldron". Last August, with the Reuters team, he was working in Kramatorsk when Russia launched a missile strike on a hotel where the film crew was staying. Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdei was seriously injured and was in a coma for more than 40 days. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation, after which he plans to return to work.
The President also awarded media workers with the Order of Merit III degree. This award was posthumously awarded to photographer, cameraman, reporter and military man Ruslan Hannushchak. He documented the Revolution of Dignity and the war crimes of the Russian occupiers in Donbas. In 2022, he covered hostilities in the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions, where he repeatedly came under fire. Later he joined the Armed Forces: he was a driver of an intelligence unit of strike drones. Ruslan Hannushchak died on January 11 this year during fighting in the Kursk region.
In addition, the Order of Merit III degree was awarded to journalist, photographer, war correspondent, who cooperates with several international media, Serhiy Nuzhnenko and war correspondent, cameraman and photographer Pavlo Zarva from Sumy. He covers the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine, including reporting from the front. Until recently, he worked in the patrol police, conducted training in providing first pre-medical aid in combat conditions. On June 3, after a Russian missile strike on Sumy, he provided assistance to injured civilians at the site of the impact.
The Order "For Courage" III degree was awarded to the host of "Hromadske Radio" and human rights activist, Senior Lieutenant Maksym Butkevych. After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he mobilized to the ranks of the Armed Forces: he participated in the liberation of the Kyiv region and in battles in eastern Ukraine. In June 2022, he was captured by the Russians and illegally convicted on fabricated charges. Last October, Maksym Butkevych was returned home.
Addition
Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 in the territory occupied by the Russians. In October 2024, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets received an official confirmation from the Russian Federation about Roshchyna's death in captivity.
Later it became known that traces of torture were found on the body of Viktoria Roshchyna. Later, the body was returned, but it was without some internal organs. This was probably done to hide the cause of death.