Paramedic from Azovstal, Who Lived Three Years in Captivity with a Bullet in His Heart, Says the Wound Saved His Life
© Facebook / Borys Todurov
Paramedic Serhiy Kovalov, who was wounded during the battle for Mariupol and taken captive with a bullet fragment lodged in his heart, has spoken about his years in Russian captivity and how the injury unexpectedly saved him.
Paramedic Serhiy Kovalov, who was wounded during the battle for Mariupol and taken captive with a bullet fragment lodged in his heart, has spoken about his years in Russian captivity and how the injury unexpectedly saved him.
He shared his story with Suspilne.
Recently, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health Heart Institute reported the successful removal of the bullet from Kovalov’s heart. The paramedic lived with the fragment for three years in captivity. Just a few days after surgery, he is already walking in the hospital yard and says he feels well.
The bullet that saved his life
Serhiy recalled that he knew his lung had been pierced but had no idea the bullet was in his heart, since there were no medical examinations in captivity.
He served as a paramedic in the volunteer medical battalion “Hospitallers.” Initially, he evacuated the wounded in Vodiane, Donetsk region, before being redeployed to Mariupol. There, while defending the Illich Steel Plant, he was wounded.
“We held the defense at the Illich plant for quite a long time. Then the 501st battalion surrendered, the enemy broke in, and we were pressed hard. We decided to try a breakthrough. The bullet that stopped me from joining that breakthrough actually saved my life and the lives of my crew. Eighty percent of the brigade that attempted the breakthrough with the marines were killed,” he said.
The bullet pierced his body armor and struck his chest. With the surviving defenders, Serhiy managed to reach the Azovstal plant. After several weeks of recovery—still with the bullet in his heart—he resumed his duties, saving the wounded in the underground bunkers for more than a month before being captured.
Years in captivity
Kovalov was first held in Olenivka prison in occupied Donetsk region, then for two years in Horlivka and Chystyakove. Later he was transferred to Russia’s Altai Krai.
“There hell began for me,” he recalled. “They remembered my connection to the Right Sector and volunteer movements. They tied me to a field phone, shocked me, dunked my feet in water, put a bag over my head, beat me with batons until I lost consciousness. The body gets used to it. Harder was when someone else was tortured—you’d hear their screams through an open hatch on purpose.”
How the heart defect saved him
According to Heart Institute director Borys Todurov, Kovalov’s survival was due to congenital heart defects and previous surgeries.
“Usually, heart wounds are fatal because of massive bleeding. Serhiy had undergone three heart surgeries as a child, which created dense adhesions. There was no cavity for blood to spill into. The bullet got lodged in the muscle and stabilized,” Todurov explained.
The bullet did not damage major structures and remained shallow. Surgeons operated in less than an hour without stopping the heart, extracting the fragment using a special magnet.
Doctors call the case a miracle. Serhiy still faces rehabilitation, but his condition is steadily improving. After recovery, he plans to return to his profession and once again save wounded soldiers’ lives.
The surgeon’s words
Heart surgeon Borys Todurov also shared the story on his official Facebook page:
“Serhiy defended Azovstal, lived 3.5 years in captivity with a bullet in his heart. On the third day after its removal, he is already walking in the courtyard of the Heart Institute. Thanks to everyone who supports and frees our guys from captivity. Congratulations to all my colleagues on Surgeon’s Day. Sometimes we manage to create miracles.”
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