In 2014, during a trip to Ukrainian military units in Crimea, Colonel General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mikhail Koval, now holding the post of First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, was detained and allegedly beaten.
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He stated this during interrogation at a court hearing in the case of Yanukovych’s treason, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“We drive into Yalta, go to the Morkvartal, drive into the square, there is a group of paratroopers, the square is cordoned off, in the middle there are 50 people, half in biker clothes, half in biker helmets. Our car is stopped and the tires are immediately punctured. They shout: “Where is this Bandera general?” I realized that if I didn't get out of the car, I would be pulled out like a puppy. These two are standing right there with video cameras and filming. I open the doors, go out and say: “Not Bandera, but Ukrainian.” I receive a very powerful blow from the bat. The breathing hole was stolen. This turnip comes up, the fat guy says: “Let Bandera know how the airborne sergeant-major beats.” I told him: “What the hell are you, airborne foreman, come take me like that.”
I started waving my arms, people were hanging on me. That’s it, I’m a hobbled horse, there’s a car behind me and they start pulling me away from the car. I told him everything I say in such cases, he realized that something was wrong here and disappeared, the one with the bat. They pull me out of the car, tear off my shoulder straps, I tell them: “What are you doing, idiots.” And to me: “On your knees.” I told them: “Try it, put it on.” Then this little guy with a pipe appears and hits me on the thigh with a metal pipe, my vision just went dark. "Bitch, on your knees." I say: “I will never kneel before you.” And all these two cameras are filming. And one with a camera runs up to me and says: “Let’s go with us.” And they hit me from behind all the time.
When I said that I wouldn’t kneel, this biker gave the command, those who were filming disappeared, a guy in a biker uniform came up, blocked me in front, and beat me from behind. I told them: “Fuck, how long will you beat me.” And they stopped beating me. A car pulls up, I get into the car by the arms and legs, one in civilian clothes jumps on the side, this shaggy guy on the other, this apparently group commander in a biker uniform sits down on the left, they just started moving, he reports: “We have this one, what are our actions?” To him: “such and such a square.” Then a half hour race around Yalta, taken to the mountains for the purpose of intimidation. I already had a plan to escape, but then I realized that this was intimidation.
We arrived in the mountains, they stretched me out, and the senior man said to the commander: “The senior green grasshopper is in touch.” Commander: “Yes, they beat me hard, he’s adequate, yes, I understand, I’m doing it.” He turns around, gives a signal to these men, and suddenly these guys turn from animals into normal men. I suddenly became not a Bandera, but a comrade general. They put me back in the car, we started moving, and then the biker said a phrase that I later appreciated: “Dad, don’t be afraid, no one will touch you. They will give your things back." Then they brought my shoulder straps to the naval guard detachment,” says Koval.