Ukrainian soldier from Ternopil region Andrii Koval, who was released from Russian captivity on August 24, lost 55 kilograms during 20 months of imprisonment.
His wife Olena Koval told a Ukrinform correspondent about his ordeal.
“In captivity, Andrii lost weight from 120 to 65 kilograms and endured horrific torture. He was beaten, forced to run in place for ten hours at a time, tortured with electric shocks, exposed to freezing cold for long periods. Andrii admitted to me that there were moments when he simply didn’t know where to find the strength to endure it all. But during the hardest days, he often dreamed of our children — that helped him survive,” Olena said.
Andrii Koval was mobilized in March 2022. At first, he served in the Territorial Recruitment Center as a senior cook. Later, he was sent for training and transferred to the 10th Assault Brigade.
“In September 2023, Andrii was deployed to Donetsk region. He served near Bakhmut. On November 24, he went on his first combat mission and then communication with him was lost. On December 6, I was informed that my husband was missing,” his wife recounted.
Olena never lost hope, believing from the start that her husband was alive and doing everything possible to find him. At first, she received calls from strangers who told her that Andrii was in captivity. Later, she saw a video of his interrogation on social media. And in February 2024, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross called her from Geneva and officially confirmed that Andrii was indeed a prisoner.
“During the entire time that my husband was in captivity, I kept doing everything possible to bring him home. I contacted the coordination headquarters, the Ombudsman, wrote appeals to MPs, the UN, the European Court, took part in numerous rallies in Ternopil, Kyiv, Zhytomyr. Together with relatives of missing and captured servicemen from the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade Edelweiss, I even traveled to Istanbul to draw the world’s attention to the issue of prisoners of war. I couldn’t allow myself to stop. At night I cried, but in the morning, I kept doing everything I could to bring my husband home. I felt that if I stopped, people would forget about him,” Olena explained.
In summer 2024, when the first prisoners from the penal colony in Luhansk region where Andrii was being held began returning home, Olena started receiving regular updates about her husband. This gave the entire family strength.
“One day a released soldier called and relayed a request from Andrii — to buy the children chocolate ‘kinder eggs’ worth 1,000 hryvnias as a gift from him. He really wanted the kids to feel his love and care. I immediately did what he wished — the children were so happy,” Olena shared.
The happiest day for the family came on August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day. Olena received a notification that her husband had been released. Soon after, Andrii himself called. She will never forget his first words: “Darling, don’t cry. I’m already home.”
Currently, Andrii is under quarantine. He faces a long period of treatment and rehabilitation. The family is eagerly waiting for the moment when their husband and father can truly come home.
As reported, during the same prisoner exchange, a soldier from Kirovohrad region was also released, whose captivity became known to his relatives through a Russian video.
Photos: family archive, Office of the President
Source: Ukrainian soldier from Ternopil region loses 55 kg in Russian captivity
