Viktoria Roshchyna, a 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist, died in Russian captivity after being detained while reporting from occupied territories in Ukraine. She went missing in August 2023 and her death was confirmed in October 2024 by Ukrainian officials.
Roshchyna was known for her fearless reporting from Russian-occupied areas, often risking her life to document the situation. Her body, which showed signs of torture, was returned to Ukraine in February 2025 as part of a prisoner exchange.
The circumstances of her death remain unclear, but forensic examinations revealed numerous signs of torture, including burn marks from electric shocks, abrasions, and a broken rib. Her death has been investigated as a war crime and murder by the Ukrainian general prosecutor’s office.
International organizations and the journalism community have expressed outrage over her death, calling for an investigation into the circumstances of her detention and death.
- Viktoria Roshchyna: Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity after reporting from occupied territories in Ukraine.
- Russian Federation: Detained and held Roshchyna incommunicado for over a year before her death.
- Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office: Investigating Roshchyna’s death as a war crime and murder.6
- Ukrainian Journalists: Continued Roshchyna’s work after her death, investigating reports of torture and detention of Ukrainian civilians in occupied territories.
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Investigated the brutal reality of Roshchyna’s last months in captivity and the inhumane conditions she faced.
- International Media Consortium: Continued Roshchyna’s reporting on Ukrainian civilians detained by Russia after her death.
