Roshchina Viktoriya Vladimirovna (Roshchina Viktoriya Volodimirivna)

On the occupied territory of Ukraine, 26-year-old journalist and freelance author of "Ukrainian Pravda" Victoria Roshchina disappeared. On 27 July 2023, Roshchina left Ukraine for Poland in order to reach the occupied eastern Ukraine through Russia. Roshchina last made contact on August 3 from the occupied territory where she was reporting. She reported that she had passed several border checks but did not specify her exact location. Since then, nothing is known about her whereabouts. In late May 2024, Roshchina's father received an official response from the Russian Ministry of Defense, in which the department confirmed that Roshchina 'is detained and is on the territory of the Russian Federation.' Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense does not report where exactly the journalist is located, what her legal status is, or what she is suspected or accused of. On September 19, 2024, the journalist died during transportation from the SIZO-2 in Taganrog to the Lefortovo SIZO. The circumstances of her death are unknown. After the journalist's body was transferred to Ukraine, it was discovered that Roshchina was suffering from exhaustion and weighed less than 30 kg. According to the testimony of a cellmate, the journalist was beaten, tortured with electric shocks, stabbed with knives, and then hidden from inspections. According to her, Roshchin was brought to the pre-trial detention center already with deep cuts on his arm and leg, as well as traces of burns from a stun gun." Roshchina's body was returned to Ukraine in late February 2025 as part of an exchange of the deceased with Russia. Her identity was identified using DNA analysis.