Zelensky posthumously awarded teenagers killed by the Russian Federation in Berdyansk.

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree awarding the Order of Freedom to two teenagers from Berdyansk – Tigran Oganissian and Mykyta Khanganov. They were killed in 2023 by Russian occupiers for their pro-Ukrainian stance. This important and troubling information was disclosed on the official website of the President.

The boys were honored for their civic courage and patriotism, their selfless defense of the sovereignty and independence of the Ukrainian state, as well as their dedication to constitutional rights and human freedoms. The decree specifically states that they received honorary awards posthumously.

'Award the Order of Freedom to Oganissian Tigran Hryhorovych (posthumously) – a student of Berdyansk Secondary School I-III degrees № 7 of the Berdyansk City Council, and award Khanganov Mykyta Serhiyovych (posthumously) – a student of Berdyansk Secondary School № 1, Zaporizhzhia region', - states the document.

Both young men fell into a trap set by the occupation administration, which accused them of 'terrorism'. After several days of torture, they were killed in June 2023. Human rights defenders assert that both boys were subjected to oppression and terror from the occupation authorities, as they were even tortured while attempting to extract a 'confession' to the charges against them.

The bodies of the deceased have not yet been found, and their relatives did not get to conduct a proper funeral. There are serious suspicions that they were buried in an unknown secret grave. This tragic event has become another symbol of despair and the tragedy of the war that Ukraine is waging against the occupiers.