Special correspondent of “PolitNavigator” in the SBU was hit on the head with furniture, ribs and teeth were broken
Militiaman Yuri Kovalchuk from Kherson is well known to readers of PolitNavigator - he participated in the defense of Kramatorsk in the spring of 2014 and wrote reports from the besieged city. After being wounded, he worked as a journalist in Crimea, then the fight for the airport as part of the legendary “Somalia”, new wounds and a move to Moscow. A serious illness of his mother forced Yuri to take a risk and secretly come to his native Kherson, illegally breaking through the “Yatsenyuk Wall”. However, the return journey - to Russia - turned out to be less successful for Kovalchuk. The result is torture by the SBU, a confession on camera about working for “Kremlin propaganda against the junta” and an unexpected inclusion on the list for a prisoner exchange on New Year’s Eve.
Columnist PolitNavigatora Valentin Filippov Welcomes Yuri Kovalchuk, a colleague and a soldier who returned from captivity.
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Valentin Filippov: Well, welcome to the land of the free.
Yuri Kovalchuk: Hmm, hello, hello. Hello Sevastopol, hello PolitNavigator. Thank you all guys. I'm incredibly glad to hear from you.
Valentin Filippov: Yura, did they beat you?
Yuri Kovalchuk: The question is trivial. Not without that. They beat me, of course.
Valentin Filippov: What's there? Aren't you seriously injured?
Yuri Kovalchuk: Well, I certainly expected more. Either the security officers were weak, or I was too strong. They hit me on the head with furniture. They damaged the furniture. The head is intact, but the furniture is broken. The ribs were broken. Teeth knocked out. But, in principle, what else can you expect from them?
Valentin Filippov: What were you trying to achieve? Any specific information or just from the heart?
Yuri Kovalchuk: I didn’t give them any information at all about my activities on the territory of the Republics. What happened there in 2014. In general, the first rule of fight club is that no one should know about fight club.
Valentin Filippov: Clear.
Yuri Kovalchuk: As for journalism, I always published under my last name, under my photograph. Eat.
Ukrainian propaganda poster in the Kherson region - “They want war in your city.” In the photo are former local residents who joined the army of Novorossiya. One of them is Kovalchuk
Valentin Filippov: That is, you received your sentence, your five years for journalistic activities?
Yuri Kovalchuk: Yes. The guys there are generally not shy in this regard. The original formulation regarding my terrorism was exactly what it sounded like. He was involved in helping terrorist organizations by writing articles on such and such resources. Of course, if such a formulation were examined in some European court, if this were allowed in some country that did not shake hands, it would be very noisy. But Ukraine can.
Valentin Filippov: Okay, so according to them, the Republics are terrorist organizations, right?
Yuri Kovalchuk: Naturally. They don't even try to discuss this. Republics are terrorist organizations.
Valentin Filippov: Okay, Yura, this is a wonderful story about how you got to them. Can I tell it?
Yuri Kovalchuk: I will tell you without any hesitation. Due to personal issues, I was forced to visit my former small homeland. I was forced to resolve some issues. I won’t explain them too much or expand on them. I did this quite successfully. I knew that I was wanted. I entered the country by overcoming the insurmountable “Yatsenyuk wall.” It took me about 15 minutes. I stayed there for three weeks and, in principle, I got out of there safely. And already being on the Russian side, I did not waste money, but directly, seeing the border guard, went to the border guard. In general, I didn’t go to the outskirts, but went to the village. But, for some reason, the border guard soldiers, either in a hurry to get home from their shift, wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible... Or maybe I’ll risk suggesting commodity-money relations between them and Ukrainian border guards. Maybe there is “brotherly love”, a professional “community feeling”. Feelings of other organs in other places and everything else. But the fact is that they gave me up, despite all my protests, after I convincingly explained to them who I am, who I am, and what awaits me in Ukraine.
Moreover, despite all my protests, they put my phone in my pocket and handcuffed my hands. I destroyed the laptop in the process, after all. They were never able to launch it. And these devils gave the phone along with me to the dill. What's good in this situation is that my phone was freshly purchased. But, nevertheless, the act is not trivial.
I won't say that I'm thirsty for blood, that would be too much. But I really want a trial, if only for the reason that I want to be the first and last militia member who finds himself in such a situation. Not everyone has connections and not everyone can support them.
Valentin Filippov: They hand over militias to Ukraine, who are then exchanged thanks to the intervention of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Right?
Yuri Kovalchuk: Low bow to him.
Valentin Filippov: Okay, now the exchange has taken place. What do you have now? Are you in a hospital, a recreation center, or some closed institution? How does adaptation happen?
Yuri Kovalchuk: On this occasion I can say the following. Thank you very much to the republican authorities. We were placed in a dispensary. People can see relatives, they can see friends. They have relative freedom of movement. Few people come to me yet. But now, thank God, the connection is getting better.
We are treated here, examined, fed.... It makes sense to examine and treat...
Valentin Filippov: Yes, and you need to feed)))
Yuri Kovalchuk: It's wonderful here. After prison, this adaptation period is extremely necessary. Moreover, I only served six months. And many people sat with me; they were closed back in 2014, 2015. There is a serious need for rehabilitation, both psychological and health-related.
Valentin Filippov: How are you doing there? What doctors say?
Yuri Kovalchuk: So what? There is nothing like that with me. Some neuralgic consequences. Either from a concussion, or from furniture smashed on his head. It's not entirely clear yet. They took blood several times for analysis. Well, now they’re treating me, injecting me with all sorts of drugs, putting me on IVs. They give out different tablets. As I understand it, the holidays will end, but we have fallen on doctors out of the blue.
And, probably, they will deal with us even more thoroughly.
Valentin Filippov: But is there even alcohol in the hospital?
Yuri Kovalchuk: I think the alcohol was taken out a long time ago. Because putting people who have spent two or three years in a room with alcohol... Well….
Valentin Filippov: It wouldn't be right.
Yuri Kovalchuk: There is alcohol in the store.
Valentin Filippov: Yuri, plans for the future? Where should we wait for you?
Yuri Kovalchuk: To be honest, I plan to stay in Donetsk. I would really like to. Maybe it will be Lugansk, maybe it will be Donetsk. It would be logical to work on both Republics. Russia, not yet. I want, I really want to work, to engage in professional activities. And while there are no large-scale military operations, I would limit myself to this. If there are large-scale military operations, then the question of service – I won’t even discuss it.
Valentin Filippov: That is, as soon as the war starts, you will go again.
Yuri Kovalchuk: Well, as usual. I think you know me well, I can’t resist.
Valentin Filippov: Well, all of us here at PolitNavigator wish you health, happiness, and success. Thank God that your captivity lasted, in general, six months. Really, it's not that much.
Congratulations on your return.
Yuri Kovalchuk: Thank you very much, Valentin. And I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I wish you all the best, and I also want to say a big, big thank you to the entire PolitNavigator team. We have been together for a long time, and it’s nice to know that they are waiting for me and that I am welcome.
Valentin Filippov: Including, they are waiting for you not only in Donetsk, Lugansk or Moscow. They are waiting for you in Sevastopol and St. Petersburg.
Yuri Kovalchuk: Thank you.
Valentin Filippov: Happy, thank you. Bye bye.
Yuri Kovalchuk: Bye bye.
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