Overview

• Viktoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who disappeared in Russian-occupied territory in August 2023, died in Russian custody, with her body returned to Ukraine in February 2025 as part of a prisoner exchange.
• Ukrainian officials have confirmed her identity through molecular testing, though additional forensic examinations, including potential French expertise, are ongoing to determine her cause of death.
• Severe decomposition and mummification of the body have so far prevented conclusive findings on how she died, prompting further investigative efforts.
• Her disappearance and death have been officially classified by Ukrainian authorities as a war crime involving premeditated murder, with investigators probing potential torture during her detention.
• Human rights groups report that Roshchyna was held in two notorious Russian prisons, with evidence suggesting she endured harsh conditions, including possible injuries and starvation.