Female journalist ‘dies in Russian detention’ after mysteriously going missing in Ukraine

A FEMALE writer has died aft spending much than a twelvemonth successful Russian detention, assertion Ukrainian officials.

Victoria Roshchyna, 27, mysteriously disappeared past August portion reporting from wrong Russian occupied Ukraine with officials present saying she has tragically died arsenic Vladimir Putin's captive of war.

Roshchyna's household archetypal reported her missing to Ukrainian officials connected August 12 past twelvemonth aft not proceeding from her for days.

The writer past spoke to her sister a week earlier arsenic she said she had made it done regular borderline checks to get crossed Russian land but didn't disclose her location.

An authoritative missing person lawsuit was past filed connected September 21.

The esteemed Ukrainian newsman was missing for implicit 6 months with her whereabouts yet revealed successful April 2024 erstwhile her disquieted begetter was sent a missive from Moscow.

Russia's defence ministry said Roshchyna was being held astatine a Russian detention centre, according to Ukraine’s main writer union.

The crushed wherefore she was arrested and subjected to months of imprisonment has ne'er been made public.

The nonstop determination of the jailhouse has besides been kept underwraps by Russian officials.

Her decease was archetypal announced by Petro Yatsenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s prison of warfare coordination headquarters.

He said: “Unfortunately, accusation astir Victoria’s decease has been confirmed.

“It is excessively aboriginal to speech astir the circumstances of the death, we are moving to found them."

Press rights radical Reporters Without Borders accidental they are "shocked" implicit Roshchyna's death.

Russian news outlet Mediazona person claimed she whitethorn person died erstwhile she was being transferred to Moscow from a situation successful Taganrog, adjacent to the Ukrainian border.

The 27-year-old was besides caught up successful Russian aggression successful March 2022 erstwhile a group of Kremlin spies reportedly kidnapped Roshchyna conscionable hours aft her car was changeable at.

Victoria claimed astatine the clip that Russians fired astatine her conveyance and forced a radical of property to wantonness the car and prevarication down hiding successful a field.

After returning to the car immoderate clip aft and continuing connected with the travel crossed confederate Ukraine Roshchyna was allegedly taken by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), her colleagues said.

She was released aft 10 days successful captivity.

Roshchyna worked arsenic a freelancer for assorted autarkic quality outlets successful Eastern Europe.

These included Ukrainska Pravda and the Ukrainian work of US-funded media outlet Radio Free Europe.

In 2022, her frontline reporting was honoured erstwhile she received the Courage successful Journalism grant by the International Women’s Media Foundation.

Roshchyna is conscionable 1 of thousands of Ukrainians known to beryllium held successful Russia aft they opposed to Moscow’s robust fist ruling.

Many person been detained successful Russian occupied territories since Putin's full-scale penetration successful February 2022.

Rights groups accidental immoderate person faced torture and maltreatment astatine the hands of their captors.

Back successful May, Ukraine claimed much than 2 twelve media officials are being held successful Russian captivity.

The state are successful negotiations to escaped those inactive locked up.

Many different Russian prisoners jailed connected bogus charges person been released this year.

A immense 24 idiosyncratic swap woody betwixt the US and Russia successful July saw journalists, subject officials and overseas opposers to Putin's authorities freed successful speech for Russian prisoners.

Those rescued included erstwhile US marine Paul Whelan and British-Russian writer Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The astir notable idiosyncratic was Wall Street Journal newsman Evan Gershkovich who had spent 491 days wrong a horrific Russian penal system connected trumped up charges.