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The body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who spent more than a year in Russian captivity, was returned to Ukraine showing signs of torture, with several internal organs removed before the handover, according to a report by the independent outlet Important Stories (IStories), citing a source familiar with the investigation into her death. IStories' report was part of a larger investigation by the Forbidden Stories journalism network published earlier today.
Roshchyna's eyeballs, brain, and part of her larynx had been removed, and her hyoid bone was broken. A forensic expert interviewed by IStories suggested that the Russian authorities may have removed those organs in order to conceal evidence of torture.
“Removing the larynx during an autopsy is not standard practice. The larynx can be good evidence of strangulation. When a person is strangled, the hyoid bone is most often broken. In cases of strangulation, bleeding can be found in the whites of the eyes, and a lack of oxygen in the brain,” the expert explained.
Other traces of torture were also found on Roshchyna’s body: abrasions and hemorrhages, a broken rib, neck injuries, and possible marks caused by electric shocks on the soles of her feet, according to Yurii Belousov, a representative of Ukraine's Prosecutor General’s Office. However, the exact cause of her death has yet to be determined.
“Vika’s Last Assignment,” A recent investigative documentary released by Ukrainian media outlet Slidstvo.Info, revealed that Roshchyna had been brutally tortured while in captivity. The film included testimony from the late journalist’s former cellmates.
A source in Ukrainian law enforcement told IStories that Russia sometimes returns the bodies of prisoners with internal organs removed: “In Russia, they explain this by the protocol for handling the bodies of the deceased when sending them for autopsy. However, this could be a way to hide traces of violence.”
Ukrainian authorities announced the repatriation of Roshchyna’s body on April 24. Her body had actually been transferred back in February. It arrived at a morgue in Vinnytsia in a bag labeled “NM SPAS 757» (with “NM SPAS” standing for “unidentified male, massive arterial damage,” serial number 757). Inside, a body tagged “7390 Roshchyna V. V.” was found.
Her identity was confirmed through DNA testing, according to Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko.
Viktoriia Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 while preparing a report from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. It was only in May of 2024 that Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) confirmed Roshchyna was being held in captivity. She died on Sept. 19, 2024, at the age of 27, according to an email from the MoD sent in response to an appeal from her father.