### Ukrainian Journalist Victoria Roshchyna Dies in Russian Detention

Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who had gone missing in a Russian-occupied territory, has reportedly died while in Russian detention, Ukrainian authorities confirmed earlier this week. Roshchyna, aged 27, vanished last August during a reporting venture in the occupied region of her homeland.

Her family remained unaware of her whereabouts until April, when Russian authorities officially notified them of her detention. According to Ukraine’s human rights commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, Moscow has provided documentation confirming Roshchyna’s death.

"We have official documentation from the Russian side confirming the death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who was illegally deprived of her liberty by Russia," said Lubinets in a statement. Meanwhile, CNN's requests for comments from Russian officials have gone unanswered.

Roshchyna’s colleagues described her as a dedicated journalist, committed to documenting life under Russian occupation despite the inherent dangers. They suspect that Roshchyna’s death was not accidental. "We have every reason to believe that her death was either the result of a deliberate murder or the result of the cruel treatment and violence to which she was subjected during her time in Russian captivity," they asserted in a statement.

The Office of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General has initiated an investigation into Roshchyna’s death, treating it as a war crime combined with premeditated murder. Journalist Evgeniya Motorevskaya, Roshchyna’s former editor at Hromadske, emphasized her colleague’s devotion. "For her, there was nothing more important than journalism. Vika was always where the most important events for the country took place. And she would have continued to do this for many years, but the Russians killed her," she said.

The tragedy sheds light on a dire situation for Ukrainian journalists; 25 are reportedly held captive in Russia, with several others missing. The Ukrainian government cites that thousands of its civilians are detained in Russia, some since the conflict's inception in 2014.

Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, revealed that Russian authorities claimed Roshchyna died while being transferred from Taganrog to Moscow in preparation for a potential prisoner exchange. Taganrog’s detention facility is notorious for mistreatment of detainees, described by Tetyana Katrychenko from the Media Initiative for Human Rights as "hell on earth."

Roshchyna’s reporting career, showcasing her bravery and commitment to journalism, earned her the 2022 Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation. Her impactful work appeared in notable media outlets, including Ukrayinska Pravda, Hromadske, and Radio Free Europe.