Daniel “Frenchman” Kovalchuk is a fan of the football club “Dynamo” (Kiev).
Daniel Sergeevich Kovalchuk was born on December 24, 1994 in the city of Bakhmach (Chernihiv region). At the age of 5, he moved with his mother to Kiev, where he first studied at school No. 80, and later in gymnasium No. 73. Subsequently, he continued his studies at the Kiev Transport and Economic College. He received his pseudonym at school age, when one of the teachers joked about his name. So Daniel was a “Frenchman” in the fan movement, and later, already at war. At the age of 12, he began karting, took second place at the Ukrainian championship in the team race. At the age of 14 he went to Thai boxing, was a two-time champion of Ukraine in the junior category. During trips with his family to the Carpathians, his love of travel was formed.
Dynamo entered the fan sector in 2012. Soon he represented the metropolitan movement in the agreed battles, in particular against the Odessa and Kharkov residents.
Teammates remember Daniel as an ideological and sincere person, an active participant in the football movement. A man of action, he was always ahead. Both in the fight and in other areas of activity of the team. He drew stickers, wrote music tracks, was inspired by national ideas and gave everything himself. With a friend, they had a tradition - they were always photographed before a fight.
An active participant in the Revolution of Dignity. From morning to evening Daniel could be found near the barricades. In 2014, he joined the ranks of the regiment “Azov”, as part of which he took part in the Shirokyn operation. Served as an instructor-machine-gunner, operator of a special purpose group. During the defense, Shyrokyny received a wound and a contusion.
After dismissal from the service - found himself in the field of personal protection. After completing the ESA course in Poland together with like-minded people, he continued to improve his knowledge and skills. He studied paramedicine, the basics of survival and working with weapons, eventually becoming an expert in practical pistol shooting. At the same time, he did not forget about the fan movement, participating in large-scale and historical events for the Ukrainian fan scene. He was fond of cycling and motorsports. He ran and participated in marathons. He often went to the mountains, and later began to organize hikes.
They met his future wife Anastasia when they were both 13 years old. They lived in the same area, and got married at the age of 20. We traveled together in Ukraine and abroad. Daniel supported his wife in everything, she was also with him in rehabilitation, and in general in life. Dreamed of children and had many common plans that did not have time to materialize due to the war.
In 2019, together with his famous teammate Maxim “Rugby Bist”, he co-founded the project “Civil Safety Academy”. Being the directors of the shooting range, he traveled the country and taught civilian rules of handling weapons, taught courses in home medical care.
Realizing the approach of the Great War, shooting prepared the willing, in particular young people from the fanatic movement, for armed resistance to the invaders. Over time, a community coalesced around the shooting range, forming a volunteer unit in the early days of a full-scale war. In the days of defense of the Kiev region, he joined the DFTG “Mriya”.
On March 20, 2022, the unit was in the building of the Retroville shopping center in Kyiv when the enemy launched a missile strike. That evening, the unit lost Denis Rachinsky, a young representative of the Dynamo movement, and Daniel miraculously survived, receiving serious injuries to both legs, after which it took a long time to recover.
Returning to service, the Frenchman, together with his friends, created the unit “Morana team” as part of the 47th OMBR, becoming the operator of the REB and UAV. Thanks to selfless and hard work, Daniel mastered this direction for himself. The unit successfully operated in the Bakhmut and Avdeyev directions, destroying a large number of enemies and their equipment. In 2024-25 he was in the Zaporizhzhya direction, and in March 2025 he transferred to the 48th separate special purpose detachment, where he held the position of operator of the UAV radio electronic combat complex.
Many people knew the “Frenchman” also due to his creative activity. From a young age he began to write the first poems, and in his youth - his own music. Being a military man, his work acquired a more serious tone, actively led social networks. With his texts, Daniel aimed to show patriotic sentiments in the people and contribute to the creation of a strong nation.
Teammates recall that during the rotations “Frenchman” could often be met at Dynamo matches. During his service, he was awarded the medals “Defender of Mariupol” and “Defender of the Fatherland”, the award “For participation in the anti-terrorist operation” and the breastplate “For contributing to the defense of Kiev”. However, relatives recall that Daniel never expected any awards or honors.
But despite the active life position and optimism, the severe injuries suffered strongly reflected on health. Daniel Kovalchuk's heart suddenly stopped on May 3, 2025. After passing the attacks of 2015, the missile attack of 2022 and all the complexities of the war, he died in his native Kiev.
