Documentary reveals the late Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna was brutally tortured while in Russian captivity

The late Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who was captured by Russian forces in the summer of 2023, was subjected to severe torture while in detention, according to an investigative documentary by Slidstvo.Info titled “Vika’s Last Assignment.” The report reveals that Roshchyna suffered multiple stab wounds and that her weight dropped to just 30 kilograms (66 pounds) while behind bars. Russian prison staff allegedly hid her from inspections to cover up evidence of mistreatment.

Roshchyna was taken captive in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories. She was later confirmed to have been held in Detention Center No. 2 in the city of Taganrog in Russia’s southern Rostov Region.

According to a former cellmate, Roshchyna was regularly tortured with electric shocks, leaving her body covered in bruises. Electrodes were reportedly attached to her ears. The journalist also bore multiple stab wounds, including a fresh three-centimeter scar between her wrist and elbow and injuries on her leg — marks inflicted while she was detained in occupied Enerhodar and Melitopol.

Roshchyna refused food and repeatedly pleaded for medical attention. Her cellmate recalled that she was so weak she could not lift her head from her pillow. She reportedly suffered from stomach problems, amenorrhea (loss of menstruation), and persistent high fever. Despite her critical condition, prison authorities ignored requests for her release, exchange, or deportation, limiting their response to brief “discussions.”

During an inspection by a Russian human rights ombudsman, detention center officials deliberately hid Roshchyna, moving her to a closed-off area on another floor. The last time she was seen was on Sept. 8, 2024, when she was taken from her cell to an unknown location.

In October 2024, Russia’s Ministry of Defense sent an official notice to Roshchyna’s father, Volodymyr Roshchyn, confirming her death in captivity. No formal charges had ever been filed against her.