A solemn ceremony was held at the Lillestrøm City Hall to posthumously present the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class, to Ms. Valentyna Tarasenko – the sister of the fallen defender of Ukraine, Andrii Veremiienko. The national award was granted by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by Decree No. 55/2025.

The Ambassador of Ukraine to the Kingdom of Norway H.E. Oleksiy Gavrysh, addressed the sister of the fallen defender and those present with the following words:

“It is a great honor for me today not only to present this award but also to commemorate, in the image of Andrii Veremiienko, all the Heroes who gave their lives and health for our Homeland.
Any medal is not only the state's recognition of a person's merits, but also remembrance.
The state's remembrance of this person, our shared memory of the good deeds he accomplished, and the memory of a heroic act that gives us faith in returning to a free and sovereign Homeland.
On behalf of the Ukrainian State, the entire diplomatic mission, and myself, I present this award and honor the memory of Andrii Veremiienko, who died defending the freedom, independence, and dignity of our country.
Eternal glory to the Hero.”

The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Lillestrøm, Mr. Kjartan Berland, Second Secretary for Consular Issues of the Embassy of Ukraine, Ms. Natalia Novytska, members of the Ukrainian communities of Lillestrøm and Oslo, as well as all those who wished to join the tribute.
The Ukrainian national anthem was performed by the “Smereka” choir.

Andrii Veremiienko died on 6 August 2023 in Donetsk region, near the village of Staromaiorske.
He was an active participant in both the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity. He received military training as part of the First Kyiv Hundred of the OUN named after Yevhen Konovalets.

In 2014, he voluntarily joined the fight in Eastern Ukraine, first with the Azov Battalion, later serving in the 24th Separate Assault Battalion “Aidar” and the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky.
He fought near Luhansk and bore the call sign "Monk."
He is buried at the Alley of Heroes at Lukianivske Cemetery in Kyiv.

Eternal Memory and Glory to the Hero!