The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has submitted an official request to President Volodymyr Zelensky to posthumously award the title Hero of Ukraine to Viktoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist tortured to death in Russian captivity.
The decision was made during the plenary session on May 14, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.
A total of 247 MPs voted in favor of the motion, which was initiated by a group of 26 MPs.
As previously reported, Roshchyna’s body was returned to Ukraine by the Russian side in February 2025, but due to its condition, the cause of death could not be determined. Her body was missing several internal organs, and the accompanying documents falsely identified her as an “unidentified male.”
Viktoria Roshchyna had been missing since August 2023, when she traveled to Russian-occupied territories. According to human rights defenders, she was held in two of Russia’s most brutal prisons.
Ukraine has also raised the case of Roshchyna’s death at the United Nations, calling attention to Russian war crimes against journalists.
Photo: Viktoriia Roshchyna’s Facebook
