Oleksii Kovalov

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]

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Ivanovych and the family name is Kovalov.

Oleksiy Kovalov
Олексій Ковальов
Official portrait, 2019
People's Deputy of Ukraine
In office
29 August 2019 – 28 August 2022
Preceded byFedir Nehoi
ConstituencyKherson Oblast, No. 186
Personal details
Born(1989-01-19)19 January 1989
Soviet Union Hola Prystan, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine Ukraine)
Died28 August 2022(2022-08-28) (aged 33)
Ukraine Hola Prystan, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
Political partyServant of the People (expelled)
EducationNational University Odesa Law Academy
AwardsOrder of Courage (posthumous)

Biography

Kovalov 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]

References
  1. "В Росії офіційно підтвердили смерть нардепа зрадника Ковальова". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. "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.
  3. "Територіальний виборчий округ №186". РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). 19 June 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  4. "Результати виборів у Раду по округах". РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). 24 July 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. "Ковальов Олексій Іванович". Verkhovna Rada (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 27 January 2021.
  6. "Car belonging to people's deputy Kovalov is blown up - intelligence chief". Ukrainska Pravda. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  7. В мережі повідомили про ліквідацію нардепа-зрадника Ковальова (in Ukrainian)
  8. Новости, Р. И. А. (30 June 2022). "Херсонский политик Ковалев обвинил СБУ в покушении на него". РИА Новости (in Russian). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  9. "Коли у нардепа-колаборанта Ковальова заберуть мандат: відповідь Корнієнка". РБК-Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  10. "Под Херсоном убили экс-депутата от "Слуги народа"". РБК (in Russian). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  11. "Путин наградил орденом Мужества посмертно министра сельского хозяйства Херсонской области". TACC. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  12. To exchange Medvedchuk for defenders of Mariupol, the Criminal Code was changed - Osadchuk, Civil movement "Chesno", 19 December 2022 (in Ukrainian)
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