Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that the body of journalist Viktoria Roschyna, returned from Russian custody, had been deliberately mutilated to conceal evidence of torture and execution methods perpetrated during detention.
Medical examiners discovered that Roschyna's eyes, brain, and larynx had been surgically removed before her remains were transferred to Ukrainian officials.
'When we opened the body bag, what we found was deeply troubling,' said a visibly shaken Dr Olena Kowalchuk during a press conference held at the Ministry of Justice yesterday. 'Specific parts of her anatomy – parts that would tell us exactly how she died – were simply gone.'
Roschyna, just 27, vanished while reporting near Energodar in mid-2023. Friends described her as fearless, dedicated, and unwilling to abandon her coverage of civilian hardships in occupied areas despite growing risks to journalists. Roschyna's chilling case has sent shockwaves through the journalistic community and beyond.
Missing Eyes, Brain, And Larynx
Ukraine has blamed Russia for the removal of body parts done to conceal the dreadful abuse she endured from cruel soldiers.
According to the DailyMail, authorities in Kyiv hold Russian troops responsible for removing her organs to conceal the terrible torment she suffered while held captive. The report further states that Roshchyna was detained in occupied Ukraine and subjected to torment by Vladimir Putin's merciless regime.
La periodista Viktoriia Roshchyna murió mientras investigaba a miles de prisioneros civiles ucranianos retenidos ilegalmente por Rusia. 45 colegas continuaron su trabajo. 🚨
— La Prensa Panamá (@prensacom) April 29, 2025
Hoy en La Prensa, en alianza con @FbdnStories, te contamos su historia. pic.twitter.com/sHdJOkkF1L
According to The Guardian, alongside each body wrapped in white plastic, the Russians offered a number, a name, a place, and occasionally a reason for death. Then, at the very end of the final page, an enigmatic note appeared: 'NM SPAS 757.' These letters were understood to be short forms for 'unidentified man' and severe injury to the heart vessels.
Condition Of Viktoria Roschyna's Body
DNA analysis confirmed that the gaunt body, with her head shaved and a fractured neck bone, belonged to Roshchyna.
'The larynx can be important evidence in cases of strangulation. When a person is strangled, the hyoid bone [in the neck] is often broken. Haemorrhages can be found in the whites of the eyes, and oxygen deprivation can be detected in the brain,' an expert told the independent news source, Important Stories, reports The Sun.
Representative of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office, Yuriy Bielousov, said that her body showed 'numerous signs of torture and cruel treatment'. However, despite finding proof of torment, they couldn't determine an official cause of death because her body had undergone mummification.
Also Ukrainian investigators have discovered burn marks on her feet, indicating electric shock, along with a fractured rib.
She disappeared into Putin's brutal prison system in 2023 while on assignment within Ukraine's seized lands.
Roschyna's Ordeal And Final Defiance
Ex-prisoners of war kept with Roshchyna – a journalist for Hromadske TV and other news platforms – recounted that she was detained in Energodar during the summer of 2023 and, three days afterwards, moved to Melitopol. There, she was imprisoned for four months and endured torment.
Viktoriia Roshchyna, periodista ucraniana que expuso el brutal sistema de cárceles secretas rusas y terminó muerta. Desde “los garajes” de Melitopol hasta la prisión de Taganrog, documentó centros de detención ilegales del Kremlin. Le extirparon sus órganos incluido el cerebro. pic.twitter.com/w6cZipugOG
— Chikistrakiz (@chikistrakiz) April 29, 2025
From there, she was shifted in critical condition to Taganrog's SIZO-2 – a facility compared to a concentration camp. She experienced fever, her periods ceased, and suffered stomach aches.
Despite her condition, she continued to resist her captors, declaring to the guards: 'You are occupiers, you came to our country, you kill our people... I will never cooperate with you!' One former inmate commented: 'Even the word "concentration camp" would be too mild for SIZO-2.'
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has issued a statement calling Roschyna's treatment 'not merely a war crime against an individual journalist, but an assault on the very concept of bearing witness.'
The European Parliament is also holding an emergency session for next Tuesday as three Ukrainian journalists have been invited to testify about the deteriorating conditions for media workers in occupied territories.
