The body of a Ukrainian journalist who died under uncertain conditions while in Russian custody last fall has been returned by Russian authorities, Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko reported on Thursday.

Victoria Roshchyna, aged 27, went missing in August 2023 while covering events in eastern Ukraine, which is under Russian occupation. Her location remained unknown until April 2024, when the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed her arrest.

According to Ukraine’s Prisoners of War Coordination Headquarters, her death was announced in October, following a communication from the Russian Defense Ministry to her father, stating she had died on September 19.

“Her remains were repatriated as part of a recent exchange at the end of February this year. DNA testing was used to identify her remains,” Tymchenko told the Ukrainian news source Censor.net.

On February 14, Russia and Ukraine conducted a swap involving the bodies of 45 Russian soldiers for the remains of 757 Ukrainian military personnel. It is unclear if Roshchyna was included in this exchange.

Tymchenko mentioned that Russia did not disclose the cause of her death and generally does not provide such information when returning the bodies of deceased Ukrainian soldiers or civilians.

Roshchyna was a freelance journalist who contributed to independent media outlets including Ukrainska Pravda and the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

In 2022, she was honored with the Courage in Journalism award from the International Women’s Media Foundation for her reporting from the frontlines in eastern Ukraine.

In March 2022, she was previously detained in the Russian-occupied port city of Berdyansk and held for ten days.