Ukrainian authorities have shared some disturbing details about the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna. Her body arrived from Russia with clear signs of torture and missing internal organs. The 27-year-old reporter disappeared in Russian-occupied territory in August 2023. Russian forces held her captive for months before she died in their custody.
Ukrainian Journalist Silenced
Viktoriia Roshchyna vanished while reporting in the Russia-occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizka region. For nearly a year, her family received no information about her whereabouts. Finally, in August 2024, they heard from their daughter through a single phone call from Russian custody. During this short conversation, Roshchyna told her parents she loved them. The young journalist mentioned she would return home as part of a prisoner exchange by September.
Instead of reuniting with their daughter, Roshchyna’s parents received a short notification from Russian authorities in October. Officials claimed she had died a month earlier. Her colleagues at Ukrainska Pravda later discovered authorities had returned her body from Russia labeled as “an unidentified male.” Her remains lacked several organs, including the brain, eyeballs, and part of the trachea.
What’s particularly concerning? Ukrainian prosecutors suspect someone removed these organs to conceal the actual cause of death. The tragic fate of this Ukrainian journalist caused international outrage.
Evidence of Brutal Treatment
Yuriy Belousov, head of the war crimes department at the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office, confirmed the terrible findings. “Medical examination found many signs of torture and ill-treatment,” experts state. These findings included bruises and hemorrhages on various parts of her body, a broken rib, and apparent traces of electric shock torture.
Medical experts concluded Roshchyna suffered these injuries while still alive. The exact cause of death remains difficult to determine because of her missing organs. Ukrainian authorities are now working with international forensic specialists to uncover more information.
Investigators discovered that Russian forces originally held Roshchyna for four months in occupied Melitopol. Guards kept her in isolation during this time. Reports suggest she went through electric shock torture before officials transferred her to a pretrial detention facility in Taganrog, Russia. Former detainees describe this facility as “hell on earth” for its notorious treatment of Ukrainian prisoners.
A Pattern of Abuse
Roshchyna’s case isn’t unique. Russian authorities captured her, like thousands of other Ukrainian civilians, in occupied Ukraine. They then transported her to Russia, holding her without formal charges or trial. Human Rights Watch and other organizations document numerous cases of enforced disappearances and torture by Russian forces.
For Ukrainian journalists like Roshchyna, reporting from occupied territories carries extreme risks. A United Nations investigation from March 2025 arrived at an alarming conclusion. Investigators found that Russia’s use of torture and enforced disappearances meets the criteria for crimes against humanity. These actions form part of a widespread attack against civilian populations, directed according to state policy.
Ukrainian Journalist’s Pursuit of Truth
Colleagues remember Roshchyna as a trustworthy professional who put journalism above everything else. “For her, there was nothing more important than journalism. Vika was always where the most important events for the country took place,” recalled Evgeniya Motorevskaya, who worked with Roshchyna at Hromadske, a Ukrainian media outlet.
Despite clear dangers, Roshchyna traveled to Russian-held territories. The young reporter wanted to document the lives of people living under occupation. This courageous assignment ultimately led Russian forces to capture her.
Her worried father first raised alarms when she stopped responding to messages during her assignment. The distressed family received no information about her fate for nine months. Only much later did Moscow finally admit that they had detained her.
Facility Known for Cruelty
The detention center in Taganrog, where captors held Roshchyna, has a reputation for extreme cruelty. The media interviewed former prisoners who described horrific conditions. Guards subjected them to physical and psychological abuse. Officials provided insufficient food. Authorities denied inmates basic medical care.
There’s an ironic contradiction here. While Russia publicly claims to follow international detention standards, survivor testimonies paint a completely different reality. Former detainees reported that Ukrainian journalists faced particularly harsh treatment in these facilities.
Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, revealed information about her final days. In October, he explained that Roshchyna died during transfer from the Taganrog facility to Moscow. Officials allegedly prepared her for release as part of a prisoner exchange. By September 2024, the previously healthy 27-year-old journalist had died. Russian authorities waited an entire month before informing her devastated family.
International Investigation
When officials announced Roshchyna’s death, journalists from Ukrainska Pravda joined forces with over a dozen international media organizations. This coalition launched an investigation into the final months of her life. Investigators interviewed dozens of former prisoners, prison guards, and human rights defenders. The team traced Roshchyna’s movements through the Russian detention system while documenting the brutality she endured.
Human rights advocates now demand an urgent investigation into Roshchyna’s treatment and death in Russian custody. They strongly emphasize the need for justice in such atrocities. Their message remains clear: as negotiations continue regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine, international law prohibits amnesty for these grave crimes.
Calls for Justice for Ukrainian Journalists
Rights groups urgently demand immediate release for thousands of Ukrainian civilians Russia still unlawfully holds. Roshchyna’s tragic case shows the horrific reality: detention in Russian custody exposes victims to torture and potentially death.
While investigations into Roshchyna’s death continue, the memory of this brave Ukrainian journalist inspires colleagues worldwide. These journalists tirelessly uncover the truth about her final days, seeking justice for her and countless other victims of similar abuses.
