Ukraine Returns Body of Journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna from Russian Captivity

The body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died after being detained in Russian captivity, was returned to Ukraine as part of a prisoner exchange in late February. Her identity was confirmed through multiple DNA examinations, a process prolonged at her family's insistence due to concerns about possible body swaps, a tactic reportedly used by Russian authorities in the past. Roshchyna, aged 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Russian-occupied territories and was later confirmed to have been subjected to torture and held in several detention facilities. She was initially expected to be included in a September 2024 prisoner exchange, but Russian authorities later admitted she had died in custody, with Ukrainian officials classifying her death as a war crime and premeditated murder. The return of her body required months of negotiations, and her family is still awaiting final examination results. Ukrainian authorities and journalists have highlighted the broader issue of Ukrainian civilians and reporters being held or killed in Russian captivity.