Kyiv man thanks Moldovan villagers after Dniester rescue

Kyiv psychotherapist Alexei Koval thanked residents of Holosnita in Moldova who pulled him from the Dniester while Ukrainian border guards were pursuing him, public broadcaster Teleradio-Moldova reported.

The 49-year-old said he was trying to reunite with his family after documents exempting him from military service were invalidated in 2025. He said he has deep-vein thrombosis and had spent eight months trying to resolve his status through the courts.

Koval said a motorboat caught up with him during the crossing. He alleged that border guards tried to strike him, that he lost consciousness and that they later manoeuvred the boat to hit him with its propeller. He said local residents’ intervention may have saved his life.

Villagers interviewed by Teleradio-Moldova also described the man being struck in the water. A witness said about 20 people gathered on the bank and remained there until Moldovan border police arrived.

The incident took place on Thursday. Moldova’s border police confirmed that two Ukrainian guards crossed the border by boat while attempting to detain a fellow Ukrainian. They were taken to a border police unit, and prosecutors opened an investigation into illegal border crossing.

Ukrainian border service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said shallow water, an engine failure and the current carried the boat to the Moldovan bank. In comments to Ukrainska Pravda, he also said an internal investigation into the patrol’s actions was under way.

Koval was admitted to Soroca’s district hospital. His doctor told Teleradio-Moldova that he had a concussion and abrasions, and that his condition was stable following examination and treatment.