Ukrainian journalist extensively tortured by Russian forces before dying in captivity
The brutal and tragic story of journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who was captured by Russian forces while reporting in Ukraine, has shocked the world. Her body, one of 757 returned to Kyiv on Feb. 14, 2025, bore unmistakable signs of torture after more than a year in Russian captivity.
Roshchyna, described as a determined journalist, was reportedly held in occupied Ukraine and tortured by Russian forces before dying in captivity in October 2024. Her body, marked with the abbreviation “SPAS,” was returned with hundreds of others, but her name was not provided. Instead, a tag attached to her shin read “unidentified male.”
The investigation into her death revealed horrific details of her torture. Her head had been shaved, burn marks were evident on her feet, a rib was found to have been broken, and there were possible traces of electric shock. Some of her organs, including her brain, eyes, and part of the trachea, were missing in what appeared to be an attempt to conceal the extent of her torture.
Yurii Bielousov, head of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office war crimes department, confirmed that there were signs she had been strangled. The condition of her body made it impossible to determine the exact cause of death through forensic examination, prompting her parents to request additional testing.
Roshchyna was held at a police station in Energodar near the Zaporizhzhi nuclear power plant, where Russian forces reportedly set up a “torture chamber.” She was later transferred to a detention center in Taganrog, Russia, where she endured further torture. The investigation described the detention center as one of the most terrifying for Ukrainian prisoners, with no access granted to lawyers or international organizations.
Despite hopes of her return to Ukraine in September 2024, Roshchyna never made it back. Reports suggest she died while in a convoy, but the circumstances remain unclear. Her tragic story serves as a stark reminder of the horrors of war and the need for justice for victims like her.
