The body of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who vanished in Russian custody in 2023, was returned to Ukraine under harrowing circumstances reportedly missing her eyes, brain, and parts of her throat, according to an ongoing international investigation.

Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 after being detained at an unofficial facility in Rostov, Russia. Her body was repatriated to Kyiv in February, mislabeled by Russian authorities as an “unidentified male” before DNA testing confirmed her identity, as reported by Mail Online.

Forensic analysis revealed shocking signs of torture and mutilation: her eyes and brain had been removed, her head shaved, and her neck showed signs of bruising. A tag bearing her surname had been attached to her leg, and investigators noted burn marks on her feet, along with a broken rib and potential evidence of electric shock.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office has launched a full investigation into her death, which officials believe occurred while she was being held at the notorious Taganrog SIZO-2 prison in Rostov often referred to as "Russia’s Guantanamo."

Roshchyna had been reporting on alleged Russian-operated secret detention facilities before her disappearance. She was held incommunicado for months, a serious breach of international human rights laws. Initially detained in Enerhodar and Melitopol, she was later transferred to Taganrog in critical condition.

According to sources, she reportedly told a fellow detainee she had refused to cooperate with Russian authorities, saying she “always stuck to her principles.”

Roshchyna, 27, is the first Ukrainian journalist confirmed to have died in Russian captivity. Her death was first reported on October 2, but her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn, held onto hope until her body was officially identified on April 24.

On October 10, he received a letter from Russian officials confirming her death—without offering any details surrounding the circumstances.