New details of the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina in Russian captivity
11 October 2024 09:12
The date of death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna in Russian captivity has been revealed. The Russian Ministry of Defence announced this in response to an appeal from the journalist’s father, Vladimir Roshchyn, dated 28 August 2024. The Russian ministry responded on 2 October by email, writing that the journalist diedon 19 September 2024. This was reported by the Graty media outlet, noting that the editorial office has a copy of the letter, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
According to the Russian side, her body will be returned to her homeland as part of a body exchange.
The death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina in Russian captivity became public yesterday, 10 October. This was reported, in particular, by Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, MP and chairman of the Committee on Freedom of Speech.
He noted that, according to official information from the Russian authorities, this happened during the transfer from Taganrog to Moscow.
“Earlier, I wrote that I had spoken to Victoria’s father, who had received a Russian official notification of his daughter’s death. Of course, we were waiting for confirmation from the Ukrainian authorities, because we cannot trust the Russians. Now the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has confirmed that the crime was committed when Victoria was being taken for exchange,”
– he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Viktoriia Roshchyna was to be included in one of the next prisoner exchanges, said DIU spokesman Andriy Yusov in a comment to Suspilne. She was to be transferred to Lefortovo to prepare her return to Ukraine.
A representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War in Ukraine, Petro Yatsenko, also said during the telethon that the information about the journalist’s death had been confirmed.
“Indeed, we have conducted an internal investigation, and unfortunately, this information has been confirmed,” he said,
– he said.
Yatsenko added that it is too early to talk about the circumstances of Roshchyna’s death, they are being investigated. He confirmed that work was underway to free Victoria. In total, about 25 Ukrainian journalists are held in Russian captivity.
Human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said that Ukraine had received official documentary confirmation from the Russian side of Roshchyna’s death.
“Once again, a person dies in Russian captivity, whose stay in Russian prisons was confirmed by the ICRC! It is unknown why the young woman died in Russian captivity,”
– Lubinets stressed.
The Ombudsman said that he had already informed the UN and the ICRC to record the death of a civilian illegally detained by the Russian Federation.
“Illegal detention and abduction of journalists is a weapon of the Russian Federation against freedom of speech! Russia has once again violated the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. The international community must put pressure on Russia to bring all those responsible for the crimes to justice!”
– he stressed.
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How Viktoria Roshchyna was taken prisoner
According to the Graty media outlet, Viktoria Roshchyna left Ukraine for Poland on 25 July 2023, planning to enter Russia via Latvia and then enter the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. She wanted to collect material about the elections in the occupied territories, the consequences of the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station and the situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant.
Victoria didn’t seem to have an editorial assignment, but rather worked as a freelance journalist. She reached the occupied territories. The last time the informant saw her was on 22 August in Berdiansk, after which she planned to go to Melitopol. on 27 August, Victoria cancelled the planned meeting with the informant.
The last time she called her family was on 4 August. Victoria described difficult checks at the Russian border and a sense of danger. Since then, contact with her has been lost. According to other reports, Victoria stopped contacting her on 3 August.
The SBU reported that she might be in captivity, but this information was unconfirmed.
on 22 April 2024, the journalist’s father, Vladimir, received a letter from the Russian Ministry of Defence confirming Victoria’s detention.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Roshchyna was already in Russian captivity from 15 to 21 March 2022. She was detained in occupied Berdiansk.
Viktoriia Roshchyna’s journalistic activities
As a journalist, Viktoria Roshchyna has worked for Radio Liberty, Ukrayinska Pravda, hromadske, Ukrainian Radio, UA:Pershyi, and Censor.net.
“I have been in journalism since I was 16. I specialise in crime, human rights and the judiciary. In March 2022, while trying to get to Mariupol, which was blocked by the Russian military, I was detained for a week by the occupiers on suspicion of espionage,”
– victoria wrote about herself on the Radio Liberty website.
After the full-scale Russian invasion, she wrote about life in the occupied territories, Russian war crimes, etc. One of Victoria’s stories about life in occupied Kherson can be read on the Radio Liberty website.
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