Colleagues reported missing organs, including the brain, eyeballs, and trachea, which may have been removed to obscure the cause of death.
The body of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, was returned to Ukraine bearing signs of torture, prosecutors said.
Roshchyna, 27, went missing in August 2023 while reporting in a Russian-occupied area. Her remains were repatriated in February 2025 as part of a body exchange.
“Forensic examiners found abrasions, hemorrhages, a broken rib, and possible electric shock injuries,” said Yuriy Belousov, head of the Ukrainian war crimes department. “The injuries were sustained while she was still alive.”
Her body, mislabeled as an “unidentified male,” was confirmed through DNA testing.
Colleagues reported missing organs, including the brain, eyeballs, and trachea, which may have been removed to obscure the cause of death.
“She would have continued to do this for many years, but the Russians killed her,” said journalist Evgeniya Motorevskaya.
Roshchyna was reportedly en route to a prisoner exchange when she died. Held in Taganrog detention center, she was among thousands of civilians deported and detained without trial.