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Russia Returned Ukrainian Journalist Viktoria Roshchyna’s Body Without Internal Organs
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![Ivan_khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
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An international investigation has revealed that the body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, was returned to Ukraine missing several internal organs, potentially to conceal the cause of death.
According to a joint investigation by Forbidden Stories and 13 international media outlets, Roshchyna’s body was transferred to Ukraine on February 14, 2025, as part of a repatriation operation involving the return of 757 fallen Ukrainians. Russian documents marked the body, listed as number 757, as an “unidentified male” with a reference note: “СПАС.”
Initial examinations by Ukrainian forensic experts determined that the body was female. A DNA analysis conducted by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine confirmed a 99% match with Viktoria Roshchyna.
The body showed signs of a postmortem dissection carried out in Russia and presented clear evidence of torture, including abrasions, bruises, a broken rib, and suspected injuries from electric shocks.
Investigators discovered that several organs were missing, including the brain, both eyeballs, and part of the trachea. According to an international forensic expert consulted by journalists, the absence of these organs could have been intended to obscure evidence of death by strangulation or suffocation.
A bruise on Roshchyna’s neck indicated a potential fracture of the hyoid bone—a rare injury commonly associated with manual strangulation.
The acronym “СПАС,” found in Russian documentation, is believed to stand for Total Arterial Damage of the Heart, which Russian authorities may have recorded as the official cause of death.
Due to the condition and partial mummification of the body, forensic specialists have so far been unable to establish a definitive cause of death. Additional forensic examinations are ongoing.
Viktoria Roshchyna disappeared on August 3, 2023, while reporting from Russian-occupied territories. In May 2024, Russia officially confirmed her detention. Roshchyna had previously been detained by Russian forces in March 2022 while covering the war in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions but was released after 10 days.
Following her release, Roshchyna continued reporting on occupied territories for outlets including Hromadske Radio, Ukrainska Pravda, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In 2022, she was recognized with the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Award.
According to previous statements from the Office of the Prosecutor General, investigators believe there is a high likelihood that Roshchyna was subjected to torture during her captivity. Ukrainian authorities continue to investigate her death as part of a broader inquiry into war crimes committed against Ukrainian prisoners.
-924c3c302c27387e19f6c44aaeb98745.png "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
