Russians have not returned the body of journalist Viktoria Roshchina, who died in captivity

Russia did not transfer the body of journalist Viktoria Roshchina, who died in Russian captivity, to Ukraine as part of an exchange on October 18. This was reported to hromadske by Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

According to him, negotiations with the Russian side regarding the return of Viktoria Roshchina's body are still ongoing.

The causes of the journalist's death are still unknown, as is whether she was subjected to torture. However, the delay in repatriation may indicate an attempt by the Russian side to hide traces of a possible crime, says Yatsenko.

The representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War previously reported that Viktoria Roshchina was being prepared for an exchange.

On October 18, Ukraine returned the bodies of 501 fallen defenders to controlled territory following repatriation measures.

It is known that Viktoria Roshchina disappeared on August 3, 2023, in the occupied territory, from where she was reporting. 

Roshchina had been at the front since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. On March 16, 2022, it became known about the journalist's detention. She was held by representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service. At that Time, she was in occupied Berdyansk. On March 22, Russian military released Roshchina from captivity, forcing her to record a video denying any claims against the Russian special services.

Gallery block (Official: Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina died in Russian captivity)

Later, Viktoria Roshchina went missing again on August 3, 2023, during a trip to Russian-occupied territories. On July 27, 2023, Roshchina left Ukraine for Poland and was supposed to reach the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine (via Russia) within three days.

The last time her family spoke to her was on August 3, when the journalist mentioned she had undergone several days of border checks but did not specify her location. The statement about her disappearance was initially filed with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies on August 12, 2023. The family also registered an official missing person case with the SBU, the Ministry of Reintegration, and the Ombudsman's Office on September 21.

Later, Russia admitted to detaining Viktoria Roshchina, who disappeared on August 3, 2023, in a temporarily occupied territory. Viktoria was on Russian territory. A corresponding letter, dated April 17, was received by the journalist's father, Volodymyr Roshchin, from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Earlier, Viktoria's relatives had sent an inquiry to the occupation prosecutor's office in Mariupol.

As reported, the European Union issued a statement expressing shock at the news of the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina in Russian captivity.

By the way, Russian troops do not hide that they consider Ukrainian journalists to be the target of their shelling and attacks. Since the beginning of the war, the occupiers have killed at least 50 media workers, and the fate of several others remains unknown. This was discussed during a British-Ukrainian webinar dedicated to the anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion, writes the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. 

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