The monstrous Russian torture against Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina

The Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda published chilling news yesterday about one of its contributors, journalist Viktoria Roshchina.

A head and two hands severed: the atrocious Russian treatment to Ukrainian prisoners
The Russian torture and ill-treatment against the Ukrainian prisoners of war

The journalist was arrested by the Russians on August 3, 2023

The very comprehensive information can be read here in Ukrainian. Roshchina disappeared in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine on August 3, 2023. The journalist was born on October 6, 1996, and was 26 years old at the time. In April 2024, Russia confirmed that Roshchina was detained in that country. This was not the first time the journalist had been detained by the Russians: in March 2022, she had already been captured by and held by the invaders in Berdyansk for 10 days.

His body was handed over by Russia on February 14, 2025

On October 10, 2024, Ukraine confirmed the journalist's death on Russian territory, but without official confirmation from Russia. The information was revealed by Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), which stated that the journalist's body would soon be returned. On February 14, 2025, Russia handed over the bodies of 757 Ukrainian prisoners to Ukraine in an exchange of deceased between the two sides. Among the bodies handed over, the one marked with the number 757 was marked "unidentified male" and the acronym "СПАС". Ukrainska Pravda notes:

During the initial examination, pathologists determined that the body was a woman. An examination by investigators from the Prosecutor General's Office revealed a 99 percent match with the DNA of journalist Viktoria Roshchina.

“Numerous signs of torture” were found on his body

The Ukrainian newspaper added: "Numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment were found on the victim's body, including abrasions and bleeding on several parts of the body and a broken rib. Experts also saw possible signs of electric shock."

An examination of the Ukrainian journalist's body has also revealed that Roshchina's body "was brought to Ukraine with signs of an autopsy performed on Russian territory." Ukrainska Pravda reveals the gruesome details found on the journalist's body: "Some internal organs were missing. In particular, the brain, eyeballs, and part of the trachea." The Ukrainian newspaper added:

An international expert pathologist we consulted believes that the absence of these organs may have obscured the fact that death was due to strangulation or asphyxiation.

As we were able to find out, the abbreviation СПАС may indicate the "official cause of death" established by the Russian side, and literally means the following: total damage to the arteries of the heart (from Russian - сумарне ураження артерій серця).

The official investigation is ongoing. Perhaps this will shed light on Viktoria's detention conditions and allow us to identify the Russians involved in our colleague's torture.

A report reconstructs what happened to Roshchina

Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based initiative that continues the investigations into the lives of dead journalists, yesterday published a report titled "Russia’s ‘Ghost Detainees’: The Investigation That Cost Viktoriia Roshchyna Her Life." The video description states the following:

"You can only understand the full picture by going there."
Journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna lived by these words — and paid the ultimate price for them. She wanted to report from the Ukrainian occupied zones, regardless of the danger it entailed, to investigate the torture of civilians in informal detention centers. She became one of these ‘Ghost Detainees’ and died in custody. Members of the consortium led by Forbidden Stories retraced her path and continued her final investigation.

In this investigation, we also reveal the identities of several members of the Taganrog prison hierarchy and identify 29 Russian prisons where torture is systematic.

Here you can watch the Forbidden Stories video about that brave Ukrainian journalist (it's in English):

The torture and murder of Viktoria Roshchina are a new example of the atrocious war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Russian invaders in Ukraine. The West cannot remain impassive in the face of these practices, which are reminiscent of those committed by totalitarian regimes in Europe in the last century. Many have wondered for years whether the horrors of Nazism and Communism could be repeated in today's world. Russia is giving a very clear and brutal answer to that question.