Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna died on Sept. 19, 2024, in Russian captivity, according to a joint investigation by Forbidden Stories. Her body was returned to Ukraine in early 2025, months after Russia confirmed her death. Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office reported evidence of torture, including broken ribs, hemorrhages and abrasions, but could not determine an official cause of death due to the state of her remains.
Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 while reporting in Russian-occupied Ukraine. She was later confirmed to be in detention by Russian authorities.
What evidence supports claims of torture and organ removal?
Reuters reports that a forensic examination was conducted after the return of her body, which revealed extensive injuries, including broken bones, electric burns on her feet and neck trauma consistent with strangulation. Her brain, eyes and larynx were missing, leading Ukrainian war crimes prosecutors to suspect Russia attempted to obscure the actual cause of death. Ukrainian officials have launched a war crimes investigation and are calling for international accountability.
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At least 233 Ukrainian media outlets have shut down since February 2022, as Russian occupation, economic collapse, and airstrikes impact local journalism.
What do investigators know about her time in captivity?
Roshchyna was arrested in Enerhodar and initially held in Melitopol before being transferred to Taganrog prison in Russia, a facility known for its mistreatment of Ukrainian detainees. An investigation by Reporters Without Borders and Ukrainian outlets revealed that Roshchyna suffered months of worsening health, received little to no medical care, and was seen being evacuated on a stretcher in June 2024.
Witnesses described signs of extreme weight loss and emotional distress. She was last seen in early September 2024. Russian authorities later declared she died on Sept. 19, 2024, just before she was scheduled to be part of a prisoner exchange.
What is Russia’s track record on detaining journalists?
Press freedom groups say Roshchyna’s case fits a larger pattern. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), at least 12 Ukrainian journalists have been detained in Russian-occupied territories since 2022, and two remain missing. Press freedom groups, including Reporters Without Borders, describe Russia’s communications as deliberately opaque, with family members often learning of detentions or deaths through vague official letters. Roshchyna’s father received such a letter from Russia’s Defense Ministry announcing her death months after she vanished.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, at least 12 journalists have been killed while reporting in the field, according to RSF. Another 35 have been injured, and more than 100 have experienced violence, threats, or abduction.
RSF has filed multiple war crimes complaints on behalf of affected journalists. In occupied areas, local media companies have been silenced or forced to close, with over 230 Ukrainian outlets shuttered due to safety risks or economic collapse.
Russian authorities have not responded to requests for comment or allowed independent access to documentation. Without an official autopsy or cooperation from Russian institutions, groups say verifying the circumstances of Roshchyna’s death may be impossible.
Roshchyna was widely respected in Ukraine for her war coverage and was recognized with the 2022 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation. Despite being detained once before in 2022, she continued reporting from the front line and occupied areas.
How have officials and media responded to her death?
Ukrainian officials and international organizations, including UNESCO and the Committee to Protect Journalists, have condemned Roshchyna’s death and demanded a transparent investigation. NBC News says she was the first known Ukrainian journalist to die in Russian captivity during the war. Ukrainian foreign ministry officials say her case highlights broader concerns, noting that thousands of Ukrainian civilians remain detained without charges across Russia and occupied territories. Roshchyna was posthumously honored by media colleagues and remains a symbol of journalistic courage amid war.
