Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who was killed in Russian captivity in 2024, has been posthumously awarded the Order of Freedom, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Aug. 2.
The Order of Freedom is a Ukrainian state award given for exceptional contributions to the country's sovereignty, democracy, and human rights.
"Viktoria was one of those who spoke the truth about the war.
She worked on the front lines and in temporarily occupied territories, risking her life," Zelensky said.
Her body was returned to Ukraine in late February and falsely labeled as that of an "unidentified man."
Ukrainian officials confirmed Roshchyna's death on Oct. 10, 2024, but said that the circumstances were still under investigation.
As a condition of her release, she was forced to record a video saying Russian forces had saved her life. »