Investigation Reveals Ukrainian Journalist Victoria Roshchyna’s Torture and Death in Russian Captivity

Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who was captured by Russian forces in August 2023 while reporting from occupied territories, was tortured, starved, and hidden from inspections before her death in Russian custody, according to an investigation by Slidstvo.Info in collaboration with Reporters Without Borders, Suspilne, and Graty.

Slidstvo.Info reports that Roshchyna’s captors never formally charged her with a crime, yet she remained imprisoned for over a year, first in secret detention sites in occupied Zaporizhzhia region, then in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 2 in Taganrog, Russia. In October 2024, the Russian Ministry of Defense sent a letter to her father, Vladimir Roshchyn, stating that she had died in captivity.

Testimonies from former detainees confirm that Roshchyna endured brutal treatment, including knife wounds, electric shocks, and prolonged isolation.

A former cellmate, whose identity remains undisclosed for security reasons, recalled seeing fresh scars and untreated injuries on Roshchyna’s body:

“I saw scars on her body—definitely on her arm and leg. There was a fresh knife wound between her wrist and elbow, about three centimeters long,” the witness said.

Alongside physical torture, Roshchyna suffered rapid weight loss, reportedly dropping to 30 kilograms (66 pounds). She repeatedly pleaded for medical help, citing severe stomach pain, fever, and menstrual cycle disruptions, but prison authorities ignored her requests.

“She was so weak she couldn’t even lift her head from the pillow. I had to help her sit up,” the witness added.

When Russian ombudsmen conducted an inspection of Taganrog’s detention facility, authorities hid Roshchyna from view, reportedly moving her to a locked room on another floor to prevent outsiders from seeing her condition.

On September 8, 2024, prison staff removed her from her cell and took her to an unknown location. She was never seen again.

According to Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General, Roshchyna was never officially charged and was detained unlawfully. Ukrainian authorities and human rights organizations continue to demand accountability for her torture and death.

Previously, it was reported that there are currently 403 Ukrainian women in Russian captivity, with many of them being illegally detained civilians.