The remains of a Ukrainian journalist, Victoria Roshchyna, who was abducted and subsequently killed, were returned to Ukraine with her brain, eyes, and larynx missing, according to a recent investigation. The report suggests that these organs were likely removed to conceal the extent of the torture she endured. Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 from territories in Ukraine under Russian control and her remains were repatriated in February, two and a half years later.
The body was mislabeled as an “unidentified male” when it was returned during an exchange of 757 Ukrainian remains. The report also noted an unusual Russian marking, “SPAS,” on the listing, which could potentially indicate “total arterial damage to the heart” as the official cause of death.
Roshchyna’s body was noticeably smaller and lighter than the others returned, the report highlighted. The investigation, published by Forbidden Stories on Tuesday, suggested that the mutilation of the body could have been an attempt to hide the severity of the torture she suffered while in Russian custody.
Despite the removal of organs, the body bore clear signs of torture, including abrasions, hemorrhages, a broken rib, and potential evidence of electric shocks, according to Yuriy Belousov, the head of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office’s war crimes department. The report also noted a bruise on her neck, possibly indicating strangulation.
The official cause of death remains undetermined due to the mummified state of the body. Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General is arranging further tests, and Roshchyna’s father has requested additional foreign examinations.
Russia confirmed Roshchyna’s detention in May 2024, nine months after her disappearance. She was reportedly held in a notorious penal colony in Berdyansk, eastern Ukraine, known for its harsh treatment of Ukrainians, as per the Media Initiative for Human Rights.
Roshchyna, who wrote for several Ukrainian outlets and Radio Free Europe, spent time in a pre-trial detention center in Taganrog, Russia, before dying during transportation to Moscow. She had previously been detained by the Russians for 10 days at the onset of the war in March 2022, earning her the International Women’s Media Foundation’s 2022 Courage in Journalism Award.