Ukraine: Poroshenko awards Savchenko highest national honor
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 2 March 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukraine: Poroshenko awards Savchenko highest national honor, 2 March 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5509417010e.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 02, 2015
By RFE/RL
Pilot Nadia Savchenko in a Moscow court.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has awarded the country's highest national honor to pilot Nadiya Savchenko.
Savchenko was captured by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine in June and taken to Russia, where she was charged with involvement in a mortar attack that killed two Russian journalists.
In a statement on March 2, Poroshenko said: "Nadiya is a symbol of unbroken Ukrainian spirit and heroism, a symbol of the way one should defend and love Ukraine, a symbol of our victory."
Savchenko, who was awarded the "Gold Star Hero of Ukraine" by Poroshenko, has been on hunger strike for 80 days.
She denies the charges against her, saying she was kidnapped and brought to Russia illegally.
Savchenko's sister, Vira, said on March 1 that her sister was "in fact in a very bad state."
With reporting by Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
