Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna confirmed dead in Russian captivity, intelligence reveals she was on prisoner exchange list

Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the death of journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna while in Russian captivity. The announcement was made by Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, during a national television broadcast.

The exact circumstances of her death remain unknown. Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), told the news outlet Suspilne that Roshchyna had been included on a list for a potential prisoner exchange. “The Coordinating Headquarters did everything possible to bring her home. Her return had been agreed upon, and the latest information we have is that she was transferred to [the] Lefortovo [detention center in Moscow] in preparation for her return,” Yusov stated.

Earlier on Oct. 10, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Freedom of Speech Committee, reported that Roshchyna’s father had received a notification about his daughter’s death from Russian authorities. According to Yusov, the journalist died while being transported from Taganrog to Moscow. Yurchyshyn later deleted his post.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Roshchyna had been reporting from the front lines, with her articles published by outlets including Hromadske and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. In the spring of 2022, she was detained by FSB officers and held for 10 days before being released.

In August 2023, Roshchyna went missing again in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory while working on a piece for Ukrainska Pravda. It wasn't until May 28, 2024, in response to a request from her father, that Russia's Ministry of Defense officially confirmed she was being held in custody.