REUTERS

"The motto of the award is the struggle against evil," Filaret said at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral on March 1 before the start of prayers for the health and release of Savchenko.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Savchenko was abducted by Russian-backed militants in the Donbas in the summer of 2014, and then taken to Russia, where she was charged with being involved in the death of Russian journalists. She was also charged with illegally crossing into Russia.

On October 26, during the early parliamentary elections in Ukraine, Savchenko was elected as an MP from the Batkivshyna Party. The Verkhovna Rada made Savchenko a member of the Ukrainian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

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The Rada has called on international organizations and inter-parliamentary assemblies to make efforts to free Savchenko.

Savchenko went on hunger strike on December 15 in protest at being denied medicines she required.

On February 10, Moscow's Basmanniy court extended the term of Savchenko’s arrest until May 13.

Savchenko, who appeared weak and faint at the hearing, said she might not survive until the next hearing of her case.