Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna brutally tortured while in Russian detention, investigation reveals
In the harrowing documentary "Vika's Last Assignment", it's revealed that Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna was allegedly subjected to brutal torture during her captivity in Russia in the summer of 2023. Ukrainian investigators report that her body bore stab wounds and she weighed as little as 30 kilograms. Staff at the Russian detention center hid her from inspections, they allege.
Journalists from "Slidstvo.Info," along with colleagues from "Suspilne" and the program "Graty," as well as the organization "Reporters Without Borders," discovered that Roshchyna was initially held in illegal detention facilities in the occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region before being transferred to the Russian city of Taganrog.
Testimonies from her cellmate describe the horrific conditions she endured while detained in Melitopol, Enerhodar, and Taganrog Prison No. 2.
Roshchyna reportedly suffered torture, arriving with wounds from her confinement. "I saw several stab wounds on her body—it was evident on her arm and leg. There was a fresh scar between her wrist and elbow in the soft tissues, around three centimeters," recalls her cellmate. Roshchyna was also allegedly subjected to electric shocks. "She mentioned being shocked multiple times, not detailing how often, but she said her body was left bruised," the cellmate recounted, asserting that the shocks might have been applied to Victoria’s ears.
"She was constantly seeking help, complaining of stomach issues and the absence of menstruation, with persistent fever. The women around her noticed her drastic weight loss, reaching down to 30 kilograms. I had to help her get up because she was in such a state that she could barely lift her head off the pillow. First, I'd lift her head, then she'd grasp the bed handle to pull herself up," the cellmate remembers.
During an inspection by the Russian ombudsman, Roshchyna was reportedly hidden, later moved to a secluded room on another floor. The last known sight of the journalist was on September 8, 2024, when she was taken out of her cell to an undisclosed location.
Earlier, journalists from "Slidstvo.Info" reported on Ukrainian marine soldier Inga Chekindy, who was captured during the defense of Mariupol and detained alongside Ukraine's defenders. Chekindy, who was held in the same Taganrog prison a year before Roshchyna, recounted the facility's grim reputation. Russians allegedly built a human-sized oven used for interrogating Ukrainian prisoners. She detailed the severe abuse women faced, including being beaten and coerced into sexual acts, she added.
The Ukrainian freelance journalist Roshchyna went missing in August 2023 in Russian-occupied Ukraine territories. On April 17, 2024, Roshchyna's family received a letter from the Russian Ministry of Defense stating that she was held in Russia.
On October 10, 2024, her father received another letter from the Russian Defense Ministry declaring that Victoria had died on September 19, 2024, during her detention, yet it lacked corroborating documents or details about her death's circumstances. Following this, UN independent experts urged the Russian government to promptly confirm this information.
"It is believed that Roshchyna was held incommunicado in Taganrog's detention center, infamously known for torture, human rights activists claim. Returnees have reported electroshock torture, severe beatings, sexual violence, and denial of medical assistance," stated an UN press release.