Russia admits detaining journalist Victoria Roshchyna

Russia admitted detaining Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who had gone missing on August 3, 2023 in the temporarily occupied territory. She is currently in Russia.

The journalist's father, Volodymyr Roschyn, was informed of this by a letter from Russia's Ministry of Defense, reports the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.

"As per our information, Victoria Volodymyrivna Roschyna, born October 6, 1996, has been detained and is currently in the territory of the Russian Federation," says the letter prepared by the Russian military police.

The letter, dated April 17, reached her father around April 22. The man also contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross, which confirmed that Victoria was being held captive, but said they could not access her.

Earlier, Victoria's relatives submitted a request to the occupation prosecutors of Mariupol. The office reported that no case has been opened against her. Letters to the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, the investigative committee, and the Commissioner yielded no reply.

Victoria Roschyna went missing on August 3, 2023 in the occupied territory while reporting from there.

According to the PGOU, Victoria Roshchyna was detained by the FSB and Russian troops in occupied Berdyansk on March 15, 2022. She had been reporting on the combat in Ukraine's East and South.

On March 21, 2022, the Russian occupiers released Victoria Roshchyna.

Roshchyna set off from Ukraine to Poland on July 27, 2023, and was expected to reach Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine—via Russia—three days later.

Her relatives last spoke to her on August 3: she told them she had made it through days of border checks but did not tell them exactly where she was.