US Embassy Condemns Death of Ukrainian Journalist
The US Embassy in Ukraine has strongly condemned the death of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna in Russian custody, highlighting Russia’s treatment of journalists critical of the Kremlin regime.
According to European Pravda, the embassy expressed deep concern over the news of Roshchyna’s death in a Russian prison. The 28-year-old journalist had disappeared in August last year after traveling to Russian-held eastern Ukraine for a report.
Her whereabouts remained unknown until April 2024, when her father received confirmation from Moscow’s Defense Ministry that she was being detained in Russia. Details surrounding her arrest were not disclosed, nor was the location of her detention within Russia.
Petro Yatsenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Prisoners of War Coordination Headquarters, confirmed her death, stating that the circumstances are still under investigation.
The international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders expressed shock at Roshchyna’s death, extending condolences to her family. Russian news outlet Mediazona reported that she died during her transfer from a prison in Taganrog, a Russian port city near the Ukrainian border, to Moscow.
Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, thousands of Ukrainians opposed to Russian rule have been detained in occupied territories, with many reportedly facing torture. Ukraine has been negotiating for the release of over two dozen Ukrainian media personnel held in Russian captivity.
Roshchyna, a freelancer for independent news outlets including Ukrainska Pravda and Radio Free Europe’s Ukrainian service, was recognized in 2022 with the Courage in Journalism award by the International Women’s Media Foundation for her reporting from eastern Ukraine.
