SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Warning: Graphic content
London: A Ukrainian journalist was tortured and killed while in Russian custody, according to a damning investigation, marking the first confirmed death of a Ukrainian reporter in Russian hands since its full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The body of 27-year-old Viktoriia Roshchyna was returned to Ukraine in February, nearly five months after Russian authorities said she had died during a prison transfer. A forensic examination found signs of brutal torture and mutilation, raising fresh accusations of war crimes by Russian forces occupying parts of south-eastern Ukraine.
A colleague holds a photograph of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna during an event in her memory in Kyiv.Credit: AFP
Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 after travelling to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia region to investigate the detention and torture of civilians.
A joint report by Paris-based Forbidden Stories and 12 international media partners, released on Tuesday, found that the young journalist had been held in at least two notorious detention facilities – Berdiansk Penal Colony No. 77 and Taganrog Detention Centre No. 2 – both linked to systemic abuse.
Ukrainian prosecutors said her body bore signs of severe mistreatment, including abrasions, haemorrhages, a broken rib, injuries to her neck and suspected electric burns on her feet.
“The body also showed evidence of an autopsy conducted prior to its return, and multiple internal organs were missing,” Yuriy Belousov, head of the War Crimes Unit at Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, said. “This suggests a possible attempt to obscure the real cause of death and cover up a war crime.”
The official Russian explanation, communicated in a letter to Roshchyna’s parents, claimed she died on September 19, 2024, while being transferred from Taganrog to Moscow. No independent verification of that account has been made. Russia’s Defence Ministry, Federal Penitentiary Service and FSB did not respond to requests for comment.
Roshchyna’s death was confirmed by Ukrainian authorities in October last year, but her identity was only verified in recent weeks after multiple DNA tests were conducted both in Ukraine and abroad due to the condition of the body.
“Given the torture and the condition of her body, Roshchyna’s family requested not one, but several DNA examinations,” Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn wrote on social media. “They needed absolute certainty.”
Viktoriia Roshchyna was the only reporter covering the occupied territories, her editor says.Credit: Courtesy of hromadske
Roshchyna was a respected freelance journalist who had contributed to major outlets including Ukrainska Pravda and Radio Free Europe. She had previously been detained by Russian forces in 2022 but returned repeatedly to Russian-occupied areas to report.
“Viktoriia was the only reporter who covered the occupied territories. For her, it was a mission,” Sevgil Musayeva, her editor at Ukrainska Pravda, said. “She knew the risks. She did it anyway.”
Human rights groups have condemned her death, pointing to the broader pattern of civilian detentions and disappearances in Russian-held Ukraine. The Media Initiative for Human Rights, a Kyiv-based NGO, said thousands of civilians remained in Russian captivity, many without charges or legal access.
“She was tortured with electric shocks, had cuts on her arms after interrogations, and weighed just 30 kilograms at the end,” a witness cited by investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info said.
International reactions have been slow, but growing. The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement last October holding Russia responsible. Ukrainian officials called on the global community to act.
“The issue of civilian hostages abducted and held by Russia requires increased international attention and immediate and strong response,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhy said.
Viktoriia Roshchyna at work.Credit: Courtesy of hromadske
The publication of the report came just hours before a fresh wave of Russian drones and missiles struck Ukrainian cities. One person was killed and at least 46 injured in Kharkiv and Dnipro overnight Wednesday, local time, according to officials.
The attacks have killed and wounded dozens of civilians across the country in recent weeks as negotiations for a ceasefire continue without success.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin “wanted to stop the war”, adding: “If it weren’t for me, I think he’d want to take over the whole country.”
Roshchyna’s story has drawn comparisons to the Soviet-era repression of dissidents and journalists, with many now calling for sanctions targeting those responsible for her detention and death.
Ukrainian investigators say the case remains open, though the chances of securing justice are slim as long as the war continues.
“She gave her life telling the truth,” Musayeva said. “The world should know what happened to her – and why.”
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