Kyiv bids farewell to journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, killed in Russian captivity

Espreso correspondent Natalia Starepravo reported the information.

More than a hundred people came to say goodbye to Viktoriia. Among those present were her family, close friends, and journalist colleagues.

After the funeral service, a brief ceremony is planned at Independence Square. The attendees proceeded there in a procession.

On the street, passersby stopped, and workers stepped outside their buildings and knelt to honor the memory of the Ukrainian journalist.

Viktoriia's burial will take place at Baikove Cemetery.

What’s known about Viktoria Roshchyna’s death

At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Roshchyna worked for the Ukrainian outlet hromadske, reporting from the occupied territories.

On March 7, 2022, she encountered a battalion of Russian tanks that opened fire on her car. A week later, she was detained by Russian troops in Vasylivka but managed to escape. On March 11, 2022, she was captured again — this time by the FSB. She later said she was held in Berdyansk for a week.

In October 2023, it was reported that Roshchyna had gone missing in the occupied territories. Relatives and colleagues said they lost contact with her on August 3, 2023.

In May 2024, Russia confirmed it was holding her captive. On October 10, it was revealed that Viktoria Roshchyna had died. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said he received official documents from Russia confirming her death.

The Prosecutor General's Office launched a war crimes investigation combined with premeditated murder. Human rights groups say Roshchyna was held in a detention center notorious for brutal torture.

On October 11, the case of her disappearance was officially reclassified as a war crime combined with premeditated murder.

On April 24, 2025, Roshchyna’s body was returned to Ukraine. Later, it was revealed that several internal organs, including her brain, eyeballs, and part of her trachea, were missing.

On May 29, at the "Honor of the Profession 2025" awards, Roshchyna was posthumously honored "For Devotion to the Profession Under the Most Difficult Conditions."