Oleksiy Kovalyov, elected to the Ukrainian parliament for Zelenskyy's party in 2019, is said to be working with Russia. The Ukrainian secret service blew up its car last week. Russian media are now showing a video showing the man - apparently largely unharmed.
In the Russian-occupied Cherson region, the Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Kovalyov apparently survived an attack by the Ukrainian secret service. The 33-year-old is suspected of treason and collaboration with Russia in Ukraine. In the middle of last week, the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, said on television that Kovalev's car had been blown up.
"I'm alive and well and I plan to go back to work from Monday," he said in a video released by the Russian state agency Ria Novosti. The footage shows him with his arm bandaged, apparently lying in a hospital bed. Kovalyov stressed that he was not intimidated and would continue to work in his constituency in the Kherson Oblast until his mandate expires in 2023.
Kovalyov was elected to the Supreme Rada in 2019 via a direct mandate for the presidential party Servants of the People. At the end of April he was expelled from the party and faction on suspicion of cooperation with Russia. Kovalyov returned to his hometown of Hola Prystan, about 40 kilometers south of Cherson, in April.
After invading at the end of February, Russia had conquered almost the entire Cherson region. In recent weeks, Russia has started issuing passports here. Russian media show footage of long queues in front of the issuing offices. Recently, there have been frequent attacks on Ukrainians who are cooperating with the occupying forces in the area.
