(Paris) Agence France-Presse video coordinator Arman Soldin, killed in the line of duty in Ukraine on May 9, was posthumously decorated with the Legion of Honor, according to the Official Journal on Friday .
“To the rank of knight” and “with effect from June 28, 2023”, Arman Soldin was decorated by “decree of the President of the Republic dated July 13, 2023”, is it written in the official journal published on the night of Friday.
Arman Soldin was killed in a Russian rocket attack in eastern Ukraine, near the besieged city of Bakhmout. He was 32 years old.
He was part of a team of five AFP reporters accompanying Ukrainian soldiers on the most active front, near the village of Chassiv Iar.
A wave of sympathy had flowed in the day after his death, accompanied by messages of condolence. From institutions, French political figures such as President Emmanuel Macron, or foreign, from the world of the media… Until his decoration on Friday, with the highest distinction in the French code.
The Legion of Honor, awarded during the lifetime of elected officials or posthumously, rewards both military and civilians for services rendered to the Nation and eminent merits. It was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 and has five grades, from Knight to Grand Cross.
On May 10, the French anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office opened a war crime investigation, entrusted to the Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes and intended to establish the circumstances of this tragedy.
Selfie with a cat, savior of a hedgehog, Arman Soldin was described by his colleagues as an “always serious” journalist who “filmed as closely as possible”, each time underlining his humanity even on the most difficult grounds.