Journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, killed in captivity, posthumously awarded Order of Freedom

Roman Petrenko - 2 August, 10:56

Viktoriia Roshchyna. Photo: Roshchyna’s social media

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has posthumously awarded the Order of Freedom to journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna.

Source: Zelenskyy on Instagram

Details: On 2 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded the Order of Freedom to Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna. Roshchyna was killed in Russian captivity in October 2024.

Quote: "In October 2024, we learned of a painful and unjust loss: Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna died in Russian captivity. She had already been included in the prisoner exchange list. Russia had pledged to release her but broke its word.

Viktoriia was one of those who spoke the truth about the war. She worked on the frontlines and in temporarily occupied territories, risking her life.

In February of this year, her body — bearing numerous signs of torture — was returned to Ukraine. Since then, all necessary forensic examinations have been carried out. Today, we honour Viktoriia Roshchyna posthumously.

She has been awarded the Order of Freedom for her unwavering belief that freedom will overcome everything. Honour and eternal memory to Viktoriia Roshchyna."

Background:

In March 2022, Roshchyna was captured by Russian forces and held for 10 days in the temporarily occupied city of Berdiansk.
In 2022, Roshchyna wrote a series of articles for Ukrainska Pravda from the temporarily occupied territories. Her work included stories about life in occupied Crimea during the war, the sham referendum in occupied Donetsk Oblast, and a photo report from the devastated city of Mariupol.
On 25 July 2023, Roshchyna left Ukraine for Poland, planning to make the three-day journey via Russia to the occupied part of Ukraine's east.
On 3 August 2023, Roshchyna went missing on Russian-occupied territory.
It was not until May 2024 that Russia admitted to having detained Roshchyna. The Russian Ministry of Defence sent a letter confirming this to her father, Volodymyr Roshchyn.

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