Residents of Holoshnitsa village save Kyiv man from Ukrainian border guards on the Dnister

Testimony of violence on the river

49-year-old Kyiv resident Oleksiy Koval told journalists that he faced aggression from Ukrainian border guards while attempting to reach relatives who had left Ukraine. The man noted that his documents exempting him from military service had previously been annulled.

According to Koval, State Border Service representatives caught up with him already in the water and began beating him. At one point, he lost consciousness.

«Коли я прийшов до тями, то лежав на спині. Потім вони розвернули човен і хотіли вдарити мене гвинтом. Коли ми дісталися берега, хлопці витягли мене, а українські прикордонники намагалися мене затримати. Люди втрутилися і, можливо, врятували мені життя», — розповів Коваль. (When I came to, I was lying on my back. Then they turned the boat around and wanted to hit me with the propeller. When we reached the shore, the guys pulled me out, and the Ukrainian border guards tried to detain me. People intervened and, perhaps, saved my life, Koval said.)

Local residents' reaction

The Kyiv man's version was confirmed by witnesses to the incident, which took place on 15 October in the Moldovan village of Holoshnitsa. Local residents reported that they intervened in the situation and helped the man get out of the water.

«Вони били його палицею по голові, хотіли порізати гвинтом моторного човна. Ми втрутилися та вирвали його з їхніх рук», — заявив місцевий житель Євген Прокопчук. (They hit him on the head with a baton and wanted to cut him with the motorboat's propeller. We intervened and tore him from their hands, local resident Yevhen Prokopchuk stated.)

Victim's health condition

Following the incident, Oleksiy Koval was hospitalised. Doctors diagnosed him with a concussion and recorded abrasions. The man's health condition is currently assessed as stable.

Details of the event were reported by Moldova 1 television channel.