Ukrainian rescued from the Dniester wants to thank those who saved him
Alexei Koval, the Ukrainian psychologist who survived a dangerous encounter with Ukrainian border guards while attempting to cross the Dniester, has decided to thank the people of Moldova for helping save his life.
The clinical psychologist from Kyiv is offering Moldovan residents a free copy of his book on how to quit smoking. The gesture follows an incident in which local people intervened as Ukrainian border guards attempted to detain him in the river.
Koval had tried to leave Ukraine after his medical exemption from military service was revoked. During his attempt to swim across the Dniester, he alleges that border guards repeatedly struck him on the head with oars and endangered his life by bringing the propeller of their motorboat dangerously close to him.
Local Moldovans intervened and helped bring him to safety. The incident left him with a concussion and other injuries. As previously reported by Voice of Moldova, Koval subsequently sought asylum in Moldova, while the Ukrainian officers involved were returned to their country.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the border guards were sent home relatively quickly. Their alleged actions have raised questions about whether they will face meaningful accountability.
Alexei Koval offers his book to Moldovan residents free of charge
Rather than simply thanking those who rescued him, Koval has reportedly decided to offer something in return to the wider Moldovan public. As a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, he has written books and developed programmes intended to help people overcome addictions and improve their health.
His professional profile on the psychology platform Qui.help lists several publications, including Let’s Quit Smoking Together, a book devoted to overcoming tobacco dependence.
The offer described in the announcement is simple: any resident of Moldova can request a free copy of his stop-smoking book by sending him a message through a messaging application.
Send a message asking for the book to +373 79 481 837 using any messaging application. The only condition stated in the offer is that the message must be sent from a Moldovan telephone number.
Although Koval’s authorship of the book is documented in his professional profile, the free distribution offer has not been independently confirmed by a separate published announcement. For Koval, the gesture is intended as an expression of gratitude towards the country whose residents came to his aid when he was in danger.
Having received help when his own life was at risk, he now hopes his professional knowledge can help Moldovans give up smoking and protect their health.
