Russians did not return the body of journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, who died in captivity.

Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna died in Russian captivity, but her body was not handed over to Ukraine as part of the exchange on October 18. This was reported by Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

Yatsenko noted that the process of returning Roshchyna's body is still ongoing, and negotiations are being conducted with the Russian side on this issue.

The causes of the journalist's death remain unknown, and it is also unclear whether she was subjected to torture. However, the delay in the repatriation process may indicate that the Russian side is trying to conceal traces of a possible crime, Yatsenko points out.

Earlier, a representative of the Coordinating Headquarters reported that Roshchyna was being prepared for exchange.

Ukraine returned the bodies of 501 fallen defenders to its controlled territory on October 18.

It is known that Viktoria Roshchyna went missing on August 3, 2023, in the occupied territory, where she was engaged in reporting.

The journalist was at the front from the start of the invasion, and on March 16, 2022, she was detained by representatives of the Russian Federal Security Service. She was held captive in Berdyansk but was released on March 22 after recording a video denying claims against Russian special services.

Later, Roshchyna went missing on August 3, 2023, during a trip to Russian-occupied territories. Her parents last communicated with her on August 3 when she reported that she had passed border checks but did not disclose her exact location. The family filed a report about her disappearance with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies on August 12, 2023. The family also registered a missing person case with the SBU, the Ministry of Reintegration, and the Ombudsman's Office on September 21.

Russia acknowledged the detention of Viktoria Roshchyna, who went missing on August 3, 2023, in the temporarily occupied territory. Her father received a notification about this from the Russian Ministry of Defense on April 17. Earlier, Roshchyna's relatives had appealed to the Mariupol occupational prosecutor's office to inquire about her whereabouts.

The information about the journalist's death in Russian captivity shocked the European Union, which made a statement about it. Russian forces openly attack Ukrainian journalists, and at least 50 media representatives have died during the war, with the fate of some remaining unknown. This was reported by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine during a British-Ukrainian webinar dedicated to the anniversary of Russian aggression.