Andrey Nikolaevich Koval (Andriy Mykolayovich Koval), Андрей Николаевич Коваль, Андрій Миколайович Коваль
Andrey Nikolaevich Koval
- September 11, 1989;
- Fire support company;
- Cook, machine gunner;
- According to him, he worked at the military enlistment office as a cook for more than a year. He was promised that even if he was sent to serve in a brigade, he would work as a cook. However, then the top leadership came and he was sent to the front line.
– Koval Andrey Nikolaevich.
– What year were you born?
– 1989.
– Where are you from in general?
– City of Ternopil, Ukraine.
– Were you born in Ukraine?
– Yes, right there, in Ternopil.
– How has politics changed in Ukraine in general? And what is the political situation now?
– I don’t even know what to say. I don’t think it’s changed much, but maybe it’s gotten a little worse.
– Were you mobilized or did you go to the front voluntarily?
– No, I was mobilized. I ended up in the military enlistment office as a cook. I wasn’t planning to go to the front. Even when I was transferred to combat brigades, they constantly told me that I would be a cook, that I wouldn’t be on the front lines. August 9, 2022.
– And how did you end up at the front?
– The senior leadership came and said that those who had no restrictions at all could not stay at the military enlistment office. Only people with health restrictions should stay at the military enlistment office. Those who had nothing were distributed to combat brigades. The preparation lasted 10 days. Basically, they let me shoot from the machine gun once, and once or twice they showed how to disassemble and assemble it.
– Have you heard of unlawful orders?
– During the time I was there, no. We, as a fire support company, stood a little further. We were seconded to some battalion and acted only on orders, when we communicated via radio, they ordered us to “open fire” in a certain direction. And we were heading towards the machine gun and opening fire. But there was no such thing, they never said that. I don’t know.
– What is your military specialty?
– A cook. Right now I don’t know what’s written on my documents, I haven’t seen my military ID. When I arrived, they took my military service book right away. But we had a machine gun at our position. I don’t know, maybe I’m listed as a machine gunner. The last entry in my military ID was – cook.
– How long did you stay on the front line?
– Ten days.
– What kind of relationships did you have with your fellow soldiers?
– I don’t even know them well. I only know the names of a few people and that’s it. And I spent more than a year in the military enlistment office. In our Ternopil military enlistment office, we all had a different life. Not like on the front line. In Ternopil, we only saw what was on TV and talked about it. Otherwise, no one saw anyone shooting. People came to the military enlistment office, went through commissions, came to our canteen, we fed them. And then sent them off. Where, we don’t know anything about.
– And have you heard about any crimes from your colleagues?
– The godfather died in September of last year, he was an artilleryman. And he also had a little child, a daughter. He died, they buried him. He was also against going to the front. Because of his service, he hardly saw his child, the child practically doesn’t know her father at all. He came there once on vacation for 5 days. And that’s it, the child didn’t even come to him, because she didn’t know him. On November 5, 2023, I was transferred to a combat brigade and ended up in a position on November 24.
– And 10 days later?
– And 10 days later, on December 5, 2023, I was taken prisoner.
– How did you end up in captivity?
– There was a storming of our positions. They came in and told us to come out of the dugout. We had one wounded and were helping him at that moment. He was seriously injured. There were three of us at the position.
– Do you have relatives abroad?
– Well, my parents are in America now. My brother has been living in America for more than 15 years, he has citizenship. He brought our parents to live with him.
– How do they feel about the whole situation?
– Badly. Everyone is against it. Nobody could have imagined that things would turn out this way.
– And are your parents against your war or against war in general?
– Yes, in general against war. Even when everything started in 2014, everyone was against it. As a president, he was fine before the war, until 2022. In general, everything was fine. Well, people say that the presidents before him did so much damage that now it’s hard for him to solve everything right away, it takes time. In war, it’s just bad. Death. Everyone was afraid for their lives. My daughter is in 1st grade, and my son will only be two years old. He should go to kindergarten in September.
– Do you want to be on the exchange lists?
– I really want to go home to my children.
– If after the end of the military conflict you have the opportunity to return to Ukraine or to a third country, which country would you choose? Would you return?
– Well, yes, I want to go home because over the years I have earned both an apartment and a car, so basically we have somewhere to go. And my daughter and son were born there in Ukraine, in Ternopil. Yes, I want to stay there, but I want everything to be peaceful and normal. If the military conflict continues, of course, it’s better to go to my parents in America if possible. Or go to some other country. And if everything is calm, I want to stay home.
– And if your relatives come to Russia? Would you like to meet them, to see them?
– Just to meet, talk? Well, just to see them even on video or hear, daughter, wife, really want it.
– Do you have any rewards?
– No, didn’t have time to get them in 10 days.
– What are the conditions for maintenance and nutrition here?
– Normally, they feed well.
– Are you allowed to go for walks?
– They let us out to the backyard for walks. In the canteen, everything is fine too, for lunch we have soup, main course, salad, compote. They feed us well, we don’t go hungry.
– The administration, investigators?
– Everyone treats me normally.
– Everything is good?
– Yes.
– Do you know what conditions Russian prisoners of war are kept in Ukraine?
– No. If you believe what is shown on our television, then they have normal conditions. But I can’t say for sure, I haven’t been there and haven’t seen it.
– Do you have any requests or complaints?
– I have only one request, that is to hear from my family. No complaints.
