A man from the Republic of Ireland, fighting against Russian forces in Ukraine, is reported missing and is presumed dead. Alex Ryzhuk, a 20-year-old Irish citizen of Ukrainian descent, traveled to Ukraine to join the fight after turning 18, according to the Irish Times.
Originally from Dublin, Ryzhuk had been volunteering with military forces in eastern Ukraine. Reports indicate that he has been missing for several weeks. The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is aware of the situation and is offering consular assistance.
“The department does not provide details on individual consular cases,” the Department of Foreign Affairs stated.
In an interview with The Irish Times in May, Alex Ryzhuk mentioned that after training in Kyiv, he joined the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade as a drone pilot and was deployed to Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Kharkiv. In a recent RTÉ Prime Time interview, Ryzhuk expressed his intention to return to Ireland and join the Defence Forces once the war in Ukraine was over. “War is not a joke; death in war is a very high probability,” he remarked. “It is something that happens constantly, even if it’s not to you, it’s to someone else or someone you know.”
If confirmed dead, Ryzhuk would be the fourth Irishman to die in the conflict in Ukraine. Graham Dale, 45, from Raheny, Dublin, was killed in December 2023. Finbar Cafferkey, also in his 40s and from Achill Island, County Mayo, died in April 2023. Rory Mason, 23, from Dunboyne, County Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine’s International Legion near the Russian border in October 2022.
BBC News NI has reached out to the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine for comment.
