The Ukranian community in Ireland continues to hold out hope that Alex Ryzhuk, a 20-year-old man from Rathmines in southern Dublin who is presently lost in eastern Ukraine, might still be found. The Ukrainian military declared Mr. Ryzhuk missing in action earlier this month during their battle against Russia. The young man, an alumnus of Synge Street CBS, is an Irish citizen of Ukrainian descent. Having reached the age of majority, he had gone to Ukraine to be part of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion.
A Ukrainian medical worker who was in the know about the incident mentioned that a Russian drone may have hit Mr. Ryzhuk, who was known as “Irlandets” (the Ukrainian term for “Irishman”). Officially, he is in a missing state, and his family and girlfriend have received this update while confirmation on his possible demise is pending.
The possibility of Mr. Ryzhuk being missing has greatly saddened the Association of Ukrainians in the Republic of Ireland, especially Mariya Starukh, as Ukraine gears up to celebrate its independence day this weekend. Starukh added that a lot of Ukrainians residing in Ireland regularly receive reports about their near and dear ones going missing. Moreover, it is incredibly challenging to stay updated on the situation from Ukraine because that’s where the conflict is taking place.
Updates about the final fate of Mr. Ryzhuk have been scarce, and it is tough to express the feelings about this situation. The news of such a young person going missing is tragic, asserted Clare Catterson – headmistress of Synge Street school, where Ryzhuk was a pupil from 2016 to 2021. Teachers were shocked and saddened and remembered him as a helpful young chap who had attended classes just three years ago. An all-rounder, Ryzhuk participated in activities across the board at his school, encompassing judo, basketball, and volleyball. He took pride in his dual-language ability and Ukranian heritage. The boy always wanted to assist others, leading him to involve himself in all dimensions of the school, echoed Catterson.
She remarked it was an astonishing incident to occur to such a young individual who had much to offer. In a conversation that took place in May, Mr Ryzhuk admitted that subsequent to his training in Kyiv, he became part of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade. This brigade has earned a reputation as a top-tier force as well as considerable public recognition due to its involvement in the severe confrontations of the warfare. Following this, he was assigned with his unit to areas including Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Kharkiv.
Within a video shared on the Butusov Plus YouTube channel dated March 23rd, Mr Ryzhuk along with fellow soldiers can be spotted directing drones toward Russian forces from a military bunker in Eastern Ukraine, speaking in Ukrainian during the entire video. Additionally, the video records him explaining how his parents seized his Irish passport to deter him from journeying to Ukraine. Despite this, he further discloses that he applied for a renewed passport and travelled to Ukraine to be part of the Ukrainian Foreign Legion as he reached the age of 18. He added his parents were slightly deceived however he hopes for their understanding and forgiveness.
Regarding his whereabouts, the Ukrainian embassy located in Dublin announced that “we have communicated with the Ukrainian authorities and it can be affirmed that the individual in discussion is currently unaccounted for. Unfortunately, we possess no further information at this time.”