Prosecutor Generalʼs Office: Signs of torture were found on the body of Viktoria Roshchyna. The cause of death has not been established

The body of journalist Viktoriya Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, showed numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment. However, due to the condition of the body, the cause of death has not yet been determined.

This was stated at a briefing by the head of the War Department of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office Yuriy Belousov.

The body of the deceased journalist was found to have abrasions and hemorrhages on various parts of the body, and a broken rib. In addition, experts saw possible signs of electric shock. This information will be clarified during an additional forensic examination.

The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office emphasized that Victoriaʼs death definitely occurred while she was in territory controlled by Russia, and that all of her injuries were sustained during her lifetime. This is precisely what indicates that she was likely tortured.

Currently, information regarding the cause of death, date and place, and those involved in the journalistʼs death are being established.

"Due to the condition of the body... and due to mummification, based on the results of the forensic medical examination, it was not possible to establish the cause of death. Therefore, samples were taken and the issue is currently being resolved with the participation of French experts to conduct additional forensic medical examination to establish the cause of death," Belousov said.

Viktoriya Roshchyna was captured by the Russians in August 2023 while reporting from Russian-occupied territories. It was later revealed that the journalist was being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Taganrog, Rostov region, Russia. In October 2024, the Russian Defense Ministry sent a letter to her father Volodymyr Roshchyn, stating that Viktoria had died in captivity.

An investigation by Slidstvo.Info, Reporters Without Borders, Suspilne, and Graty found that the Russians first captured Roshchyna and held her in torture chambers in the occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region, and later transported her to Taganrog. Roshchyna was held in Russian prisons without any charges being brought against her.

The journalist was held in occupied Enerhodar, then in Melitopol. The journalists established that Victoria was tortured there — according to eyewitnesses, there were knife wounds on the journalistʼs body, with which she arrived at the pre-trial detention center after being held in the occupation. In addition to knife cuts, the Russians also tortured the journalist with electric shocks. Over time, Victoria began to lose weight rapidly, and later she weighed up to 30 kilograms.

The body of Victoria Roshchyna was returned during repatriation at the end of February 2025, it became known on April 24. She was identified using DNA expertise.

The capture and death of Victoria Roshchyna

Viktoriya Roshchyna was first captured by the Russians in March 2022. She was traveling from Zaporizhzhia to Mariupol, but ended up in occupied Berdyansk, where she was held for 10 days. There, the journalist was forced to record a video saying that she did not blame Russia.

A year later, on August 3, 2023, Roshchyna disappeared in the temporarily occupied territories from where she was supposed to be reporting. After August 3, Victoria was not contacted. In May 2024, Russia confirmed that it was again holding her captive.

On October 10, it became known that Roshchyna died during a transfer from Taganrog to Moscow. The cause of her death and when it happened were not reported.

The GUR representative Andriy Yusov told Babel that Ukraine already had agreements on Roshchinaʼs return home and she was supposed to return to Ukraine in the near future.

On October 11, the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office further qualified the criminal proceedings opened into her disappearance, adding Part 2 of Article 438 of the countryʼs Criminal Code — violation of the laws and customs of war, combined with premeditated murder.

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