Oleksiy Ivanovych Kovalov (Ukrainian: Олексій Іванович Ковальов, Russian: Алексей Иванович Ковалев; 19 January 1989 – 28 August 2022) was a Ukrainian politician who served as a People's Deputy of Ukraine representing Ukraine's 186th electoral district as a member of Servant of the People from 2019 until his assassination in 2022. A few months before his death, he had begun collaborating with Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1][2]
Oleksiy Kovalov | |
|---|---|
Олексій Ковальов | |
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| People's Deputy of Ukraine | |
| In office 29 August 2019 – 28 August 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Fedir Nehoi |
| Constituency | Kherson Oblast, No. 186 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 January 1989 Hola Prystan, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Died | 28 August 2022 (aged 33) Hola Prystan, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Political party | Servant of the People (expelled) |
| Education | National University Odesa Law Academy |
| Awards | Order of Courage (posthumous) |
Biography
editKovalov was elected in the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election as a member of the Servant of the People party after winning in Ukraine's 186th electoral district (centred around Hola Prystan[3]) with 35.12% of the votes.[4][5] He entered Ukraine's national parliament, the Verkhovna Rada in August 2019.[5]
Two months into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the beginning of April 2022 Kovalov stated that he was in Russian occupied Hola Prystan "to work in his electoral district."[6][2] He did not report to the Verkhovna Rada where he was or what he was doing.[6]
On 28 April, the Servant of the People faction announced that it had suspended Kovalov's membership in the party and the faction.[6] Kovalov was then expelled from the Servant of the People party on 3 May 2022.[6]
On 8 June 2022, Kovalov admitted on his Facebook page to collaborating with the Russian occupiers in the Kherson Oblast.[6]
On 22 June 2022, it was reported that Kovalov had been killed in Kherson Oblast at the age of 33.[7] However, on 30 June 2022, Russian media released a video of Kovalov in the hospital, in which he accused the Ukrainian Security Service of attempting to assassinate him.[8] Also on 30 June 2022, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Kornienko stated that Kovalov's mandate could be removed only after a court ruling because the Ukrainian Constitution does not include collaborationism as grounds for depriving an MP of their mandate.[9]
According to Ukrainian authorities at the beginning of July, Kovalov assumed the position of deputy created by the Russian occupying administration, "head of the government of Kherson Oblast".[2]
On 28 August 2022, several Telegram channels reported the murder of Kovalov.[2][10] The following day the Investigative Committee of Russia confirmed Kovalov's death.[1] According to them, Kovalev died as a result of a gunshot wound during an attack at his place of residence in Zaliznyi Port on 28 August 2022.[1] A woman who lived with Kovalev reportedly was also killed.[1]
On 7 October 2022, the Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded him with the Order of Courage for "dedication and courage".[11]
Since no official death certificate could have been received by parliament, necessary for his termination of office as a People's Deputy of Ukraine, Kovalyov will technically stay a member of the Verkhovna Rada until the next Ukrainian parliamentary election or until an official death certificate is received.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "В Росії офіційно підтвердили смерть нардепа зрадника Ковальова". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Ukrainian collaborator killed in Kherson Oblast". Ukrainska Pravda. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
"На Херсонщині вбили нардепа-зрадника Ковальова – джерело". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022. - ^ "Територіальний виборчий округ №186". РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). 19 June 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Результати виборів у Раду по округах". РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). 24 July 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Ковальов Олексій Іванович". Verkhovna Rada (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Car belonging to people's deputy Kovalov is blown up - intelligence chief". Ukrainska Pravda. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- ^ В мережі повідомили про ліквідацію нардепа-зрадника Ковальова (in Ukrainian)
- ^ Новости, Р. И. А. (30 June 2022). "Херсонский политик Ковалев обвинил СБУ в покушении на него". РИА Новости (in Russian). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Коли у нардепа-колаборанта Ковальова заберуть мандат: відповідь Корнієнка". РБК-Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Под Херсоном убили экс-депутата от "Слуги народа"". РБК (in Russian). 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
- ^ "Путин наградил орденом Мужества посмертно министра сельского хозяйства Херсонской области". TACC. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ To exchange Medvedchuk for defenders of Mariupol, the Criminal Code was changed - Osadchuk, Civil movement "Chesno", 19 December 2022 (in Ukrainian)