Body of Ukrainian Journalist Returned Mutilated from Russian Captivity 'Without Eyes or a Brain' in a Bag Labelled 'Unidentified Male'

Viktoria Roshchyna's body was returned to Kyiv in February after she disappeared into an unofficial detention Center in occupied Ukraine in August 2023

The body of 27-year-old Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna was returned to Kyiv in February under grim circumstances, following her disappearance into an unofficial Russian detention facility in Rostov in August 2023. Upon arrival, her remains were misidentified as an "unidentified male" before DNA tests confirmed her identity. The return was part of a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia.

Forensic examination revealed horrific signs of torture and mutilation. The body was discovered without eyes, brain, or a portion of the throat. Her head had been shaved, neck visibly bruised, and a name tag with her surname was found attached to her shin. Her feet bore burn marks, and further examination revealed a broken rib and indications of electric shock. These findings are now part of an ongoing investigation by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office.

When forensic experts opened up the body bag, they discovered Roshchyna's body had been tortured and mutilated. Her eyeballs, brain and part of her throat were removed

Ukrainian authorities disclosed the repatriation of her body on April 24, confirming that she had died in Russian captivity, the first known Ukrainian journalist to do so. Roshchyna had been investigating Russia’s use of secret detention sites when she was detained. She was last held at the notorious Taganrog SIZO-2 prison in Rostov—often referred to as "Russia’s Guantanamo" due to its extensive record of human rights violations.

Roshchyna had previously been held in Enerhodar and Melitopol before being transferred to Taganrog in critical condition. There, she was reportedly held incommunicado, a serious breach of international human rights laws. A fellow detainee recounted that Roshchyna had refused a deal from a Russian serviceman, telling them she “always stuck to her principles.”

After initially being held in the cities of Enerhodar and Melitopol, Roshchyna was transferred to the Taganrog detention Centre run by Russia's Federal Security Service in a critical condition

Her death was first reported to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn, on October 10 through a vague letter from Russian authorities. Despite this, he held onto hope that she was alive until DNA confirmation of her body.

Details of her captivity emerged through testimonies from former prisoners and an international investigation. Survivors described Taganrog SIZO-2 as a place of constant torture. According to released inmates, certain rooms in the facility were used exclusively for brutal abuse, including near-drownings, beatings, and electrocution.

Digital reconstructions and prisoner accounts revealed that detainees were packed into 10-by-16-foot cells and subjected to extreme surveillance, daily physical abuse, and psychological torment. One former inmate described being hung by handcuffs while beaten, while another recounted electric shocks administered through devices clamped between toes. Daily routines included being forced to face walls with legs spread while guards beat them.

When forensic experts opened up the body bag, they discovered Roshchyna's body had been tortured and mutilated. Her eyeballs, brain and part of her throat were removed

Roshchyna reportedly went on hunger strike in June, leading to severe weight loss and deteriorating health. She was briefly hospitalized, then returned to the prison and isolated. In her final weeks, she appeared too weak to respond to guards and was removed from her cell on September 8, potentially for release.

Her father received a final four-minute call in late August, during which Russian guards urged him to convince her to eat. A month later, he received official notification of her death, without details or a location for her remains. Despite multiple requests to Russian authorities for information, his inquiries were rejected.

The young journalist spent the majority of her time in detention at the Taganrog SIZO-2 prison in Rostov, which is also known as Russia's Guantanamo

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office has opened a formal investigation into Roshchyna’s death as a war crime. International observers, including the UN, have expressed serious concern over the scale and extremity of Russia’s treatment of detainees. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, cited a disturbing pattern of abuses including mock executions, beatings, electric shocks, waterboarding, and sexual violence in Russian detention centers.

Viktoria Roshchyna’s death underscores the mounting evidence of systemic torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings within the Russian prison system during its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Her case is a stark reminder of the peril faced by journalists reporting under authoritarian regimes.