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Journalism on the Frontline: The Life and Death of Victoria Roshchyna
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Navigating the Digital Crossroads: AI and the Future of Electoral Trust

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and digital communication, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged not only as a facilitator of convenience but also as a potential threat to the democratic process. As we edge closer to another major electoral cycle in Europe, the spotlight intensifies on AI chatbots and their unintended role in spreading misinformation.


Illustration of AI robot making a vote in a red ballet box.

Recent investigations, including those by Democracy Reporting International and studies featured on platforms like POLITICO and phys.org, have exposed a troubling trend: AI chatbots, deployed by tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, have been caught disseminating inaccurate election-related information. These "AI hallucinations'' include providing voters with wrong election dates and faulty voting instructions, seemingly innocuous errors that could have far-reaching consequences on voter behaviour and trust in the electoral process.


The issue at hand is not just about technological glitches; it's about the integrity of democracy itself. The European Union's cybersecurity agency, ENISA, has highlighted the significant risks posed by these technologies, emphasising the need for robust cybersecure infrastructures to uphold trust in the electoral process. The advent of deepfakes—hyper-realistic video and audio forgeries—adds another layer of complexity, challenging the public's ability to discern truth from manipulation.


This emerging crisis calls into question the responsibility of tech companies in moderating content and shaping public discourse. While firms like Google have started to impose restrictions on election-related queries directed at their AI, the measures are voluntary and lack the enforcement bite that might be necessary to deter misuse. Critics argue that without stricter regulations and oversight, the voluntary measures adopted by these tech behemoths may be insufficient to curb the tide of digital disinformation.


50's style robot looking over a red ballet box with the word VOTE written across the front in Black.

As we reflect on these developments, a thought-provoking question arises: Who should guard the gates of our democracy? Is it the tech developers, the users, or the regulators? Or do we all share a collective responsibility to safeguard the truth and ensure that the digital tools designed to make our lives easier do not, in turn, compromise our most fundamental democratic rights?


The debate is complex and multifaceted, requiring a balance between innovation and regulation, freedom and responsibility. As we continue to integrate AI into every aspect of our lives, including our political processes, the need for a vigilant, informed, and proactive approach to governance and regulation becomes ever more apparent. The path we choose today will determine not just the future of AI, but the future of our democratic institutions themselves.


Journalism on the Frontline: The Life and Death of Victoria Roshchyna

Journalism on the Frontline: The Life and Death of Victoria Roshchyna

6 May 2025

Paul Francis

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In an age where truth is often a casualty of war, Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna stood as a defiant exception. A fearless voice amidst chaos, her commitment to reporting from the frontlines of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cost her everything—including, ultimately, her life.


Back view of a person wearing a "PRESS" vest walking through rubble in a war-torn city, with a somber, tense mood.
AI image of Press officer in a Warzone

A Promising Voice from Zaporizhzhia

Born in 1996 in the industrial city of Zaporizhzhia, Victoria Roshchyna began her journalistic career young, covering courts and crime as a teenager. But it was the seismic shock of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 that reshaped her path—and gave rise to some of the most courageous journalism of the war.


Working with outlets such as Hromadske, Ukrainska Pravda, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Roshchyna became known for going where few dared. She reported from the besieged city of Mariupol, from occupied territories, and from communities terrorised by Russian shelling. Her focus wasn’t just on bombs and battle lines, but on the people living through them.


Victoria Roshchyna First Detention - and Defiant Return

In March 2022, Roshchyna was detained by Russian forces while reporting in Berdiansk, southeastern Ukraine. She was held for 10 days, subjected to interrogation, and coerced into recording a video thanking her captors. The experience would shake many—but not Victoria.

She published her harrowing account of that detention, then returned to the front. Later that year, she was awarded the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Award—an honour she declined to collect in person, choosing instead to continue her work in the field.


Disappearance in Occupied Territory

On August 3, 2023, Roshchyna vanished while investigating alleged secret detention facilities near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—an area under Russian control. For months, her family and colleagues pleaded for answers. Russian authorities refused to confirm her whereabouts until April 2024.


By then, it was too late.


Torture and Tragedy

According to official statements, Roshchyna died on September 19, 2024, during a transfer to Moscow, allegedly as part of a prisoner exchange. But the circumstances of her death—and the condition of her body—told a far more disturbing story.


Her remains were returned to Ukraine months later, mislabelled as those of an “unidentified male.” Forensic experts discovered her body bore signs of extreme torture: broken bones, electrocution marks, and the removal of her eyes, brain, and larynx—presumably to hide evidence of how she died.


She had been held in Penal Colony No. 77 in Berdiansk, and later transferred to SIZO-2, the notorious pre-trial detention centre in Taganrog. Investigations by human rights groups have linked both sites to systemic torture, starvation, and abuse of Ukrainian detainees.


A Chilling Pattern

Roshchyna’s death fits a grim pattern of violence against journalists in occupied Ukraine. Her case is a searing indictment of how the Kremlin seeks not only to suppress information—but to punish those brave enough to uncover it.


Her story also speaks to a broader crisis: the dangers facing reporters who challenge authoritarian narratives, especially women. Despite the personal risk, Roshchyna refused to be silenced. And for that, she paid the ultimate price.


Remembering Victoria

Tributes have poured in from around the world, honouring Roshchyna as a symbol of fearless journalism. But perhaps the most enduring tribute is the legacy of her reporting—accounts that give voice to civilians under occupation, to families ripped apart, and to lives lived under threat.


Her colleagues remember her as warm, sharp-witted, and deeply committed to the truth. “She wanted to show the human face of war,” one wrote. “And she never stopped trying.”

In remembering Victoria Roshchyna, we are reminded of the essential—and dangerous—role of journalism in conflict. Her story must not be forgotten. Her work must continue.




Citations and Sources

  1. The Guardian – ‘Numerous signs of torture’: a Ukrainian journalist's detention and death in Russian prisonhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/29/viktoriia-roshchyna-ukrainian-journalist-death-russian-prison

  2. The Washington Post – Russia’s detention of civilians: secret prisons and torturehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2025/russia-detention-ukraine-civilians-occupation

  3. Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) – Ukrainian Journalist Missing In Russian-Occupied Area Has Been Detained, Relatives Sayhttps://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-journalist-roshchyna-missing-russia-detention/

  4. Hromadske International – Victoria Roshchyna’s First-Person Account of Her 2022 Detentionhttps://en.hromadske.ua/posts/journalist-victoria-roshchyna-released-from-captivity

  5. International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) – Courage in Journalism Award: Victoria Roshchyna (2022)https://www.iwmf.org/community/victoria-roshchyna/

  6. New York Post – Body of Ukrainian journalist returned with signs of torturehttps://nypost.com/2025/04/29/world-news/body-of-ukrainian-journalist-kidnapped-by-russia-returned-with-eyes-brain-removed-likely-to-hide-signs-of-torture-report

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