I’m pretty sure this is the same young lad that was interviewed on the piece on prime time last week.
DanBGG on
He says his parents confiscated his Irish passport in an attempt to stop him travelling to Ukraine but he says he applied for a new one and went to Ukraine to join the Ukrainian Foreign Legion when he turned 18. “I tricked my parents a bit. I hope they will forgive me,” he says.
Heartbreaking 💔
Insane to me that on a Tuesday he couldn’t consume alcohol and then on a Wednesday was deemed old enough to go and die for his parents country.
BigDrummerGorilla on
Hopefully not the guy who posts here on occasion.
caisdara on
Talk about brave. Poor lad.
Thin-Annual4373 on
Hero
notarobat on
Drone killings are so disgusting. What a horrible horrible way to go.
gibert1978 on
RIP. Shouldn’t never been there.
senditup on
Brave guy.
ShouldHaveGoneToUCC on
RIP.
Poor guy and his family. He died fighting imperialism.
Saor_Ucrain on
Another Irishman has given his life for the people of Ukraine. Alex Ryhuk was born in Dublin to Ukranian parents. Despite not having military experience before this war and having the freedom of choice to sit out the war as an Irishman, he made the selfless choice to put the lives of civilians in Ukraine above his own life and made the decision to go enlist in ЗСУ, the Armed Forces of Ukraine .
I met Alex once, by pure chance I saw a tri colour on his military bag in Kyiv. I thought maybe it was a gift as patch swapping is common or that he had bought it and I went over to ask where he had got it. Turned out he was Irish. We talked for a few minutes and exchanged contact info.
I was surprised to learn that he was a young civilian with no previous military training, who came to enlist and help defend Ukraine. He was still in training at the time. He seemed like a happy, energetic lad and very keen to serve the people of Ukraine. I worried he might not realise what he was going to be potentially exposing himself to and may not understand the seriousness of this war, of all wars. Maybe he wouldn’t have enough training or have the wrong mindset.
Like many times in this war, I was proven very wrong. Alex was not the first and no doubt will not be the last young man w/o prior experience or training to not only match the capabilities of, but outperform those with extensive NATO training, with previously high rank or with combat experience in another war like Iraq or Afghanistan. Some of the best soldiers I have met were civilians pre invasion and despite not having served in alongside Alex, I have little doubt he was also one of the best.
We briefly texted and from what I could tell was very switched on and soaking up all information and skills being taught in the training he was receiving. I saw an interview he did with a youtuber a few months later and it was clear then that he was taking to the training like a duck to water.
Alex had freedom of choice to leave whenever he wanted. Many foreigners, even those with previous military or combat experience have left after a (long or short) stint for various reasons. They can’t handle the combat intensity. They feel they have done enough and no longer want to fight. Wounded and burnt out. The most irritating of all, those who come and go out on one op just to be able to say “Ukraine? Ah yeah, I fought there, I’m a great lad”.
Alex was like none of the above and selflessly made the decision to keep going, despite having already done more to help and defend the civilians of Ukraine than 99% of the world’s population.
He now joins Irishmen like Mason, Cafferky, Dale and countless fallen Irish heros in eternal glory. His name and theirs will be remembered much longer than any of us will live, for their bravery, sacrifice and as is world famous, their ferocity as Irish warriors. May they all rest in peace.
Saoirse don Úcráin.
Tiocfaidh ár lá.
Environmental-Net286 on
Glory to the heroes
Rest well, your job is done
SwimmingStale on
It’s one thing to know thousands of people have been killed, including children. But to see this lad’s face and know he was only 20, just makes it hit home a bit more. Men like Putin are a plague on this earth. Dead at 20, no age at all.
Is there any greater statement of someone’s character than to put their life on the line for a cause they believe in? He wasn’t drafted, he was thousands of miles away. He went out of his way to put himself in danger for a good cause. Slava Ukraini, lad.
You would need your head examined going over and fighting as a foreigner for any military during a conflict, you are the most expendable unless you have actually useful skills. Then the risks of being thought of as being a spy.
Old-Ad5508 on
Warrior and patriot. Fighting for a great cause. Rip. Slava Ukraini
ghostintheruins on
Legend. RIP.
FatherHackJacket on
A man of infinite courage. May he rest in peace and may the Russian invaders go the fuck back home to their own country.
2_Pints_Of_Rasa on
Slava Ukraini
Died fighting against imperialism, ar dheis dé go raibh a anam.
25 Comments
Ar dheis dé go raibh a anam
I’m pretty sure this is the same young lad that was interviewed on the piece on prime time last week.
He says his parents confiscated his Irish passport in an attempt to stop him travelling to Ukraine but he says he applied for a new one and went to Ukraine to join the Ukrainian Foreign Legion when he turned 18. “I tricked my parents a bit. I hope they will forgive me,” he says.
Heartbreaking 💔
Insane to me that on a Tuesday he couldn’t consume alcohol and then on a Wednesday was deemed old enough to go and die for his parents country.
Hopefully not the guy who posts here on occasion.
Talk about brave. Poor lad.
Hero
Drone killings are so disgusting. What a horrible horrible way to go.
RIP. Shouldn’t never been there.
Brave guy.
RIP.
Poor guy and his family. He died fighting imperialism.
Another Irishman has given his life for the people of Ukraine. Alex Ryhuk was born in Dublin to Ukranian parents. Despite not having military experience before this war and having the freedom of choice to sit out the war as an Irishman, he made the selfless choice to put the lives of civilians in Ukraine above his own life and made the decision to go enlist in ЗСУ, the Armed Forces of Ukraine .
I met Alex once, by pure chance I saw a tri colour on his military bag in Kyiv. I thought maybe it was a gift as patch swapping is common or that he had bought it and I went over to ask where he had got it. Turned out he was Irish. We talked for a few minutes and exchanged contact info.
I was surprised to learn that he was a young civilian with no previous military training, who came to enlist and help defend Ukraine. He was still in training at the time. He seemed like a happy, energetic lad and very keen to serve the people of Ukraine. I worried he might not realise what he was going to be potentially exposing himself to and may not understand the seriousness of this war, of all wars. Maybe he wouldn’t have enough training or have the wrong mindset.
Like many times in this war, I was proven very wrong. Alex was not the first and no doubt will not be the last young man w/o prior experience or training to not only match the capabilities of, but outperform those with extensive NATO training, with previously high rank or with combat experience in another war like Iraq or Afghanistan. Some of the best soldiers I have met were civilians pre invasion and despite not having served in alongside Alex, I have little doubt he was also one of the best.
We briefly texted and from what I could tell was very switched on and soaking up all information and skills being taught in the training he was receiving. I saw an interview he did with a youtuber a few months later and it was clear then that he was taking to the training like a duck to water.
Alex had freedom of choice to leave whenever he wanted. Many foreigners, even those with previous military or combat experience have left after a (long or short) stint for various reasons. They can’t handle the combat intensity. They feel they have done enough and no longer want to fight. Wounded and burnt out. The most irritating of all, those who come and go out on one op just to be able to say “Ukraine? Ah yeah, I fought there, I’m a great lad”.
Alex was like none of the above and selflessly made the decision to keep going, despite having already done more to help and defend the civilians of Ukraine than 99% of the world’s population.
He now joins Irishmen like Mason, Cafferky, Dale and countless fallen Irish heros in eternal glory. His name and theirs will be remembered much longer than any of us will live, for their bravery, sacrifice and as is world famous, their ferocity as Irish warriors. May they all rest in peace.
Saoirse don Úcráin.
Tiocfaidh ár lá.
Glory to the heroes
Rest well, your job is done
It’s one thing to know thousands of people have been killed, including children. But to see this lad’s face and know he was only 20, just makes it hit home a bit more. Men like Putin are a plague on this earth. Dead at 20, no age at all.
Is there any greater statement of someone’s character than to put their life on the line for a cause they believe in? He wasn’t drafted, he was thousands of miles away. He went out of his way to put himself in danger for a good cause. Slava Ukraini, lad.
RIP
Not his fight..
[Theres an interview with him here from a few months back](https://youtu.be/RFwt31B6lSs?si=XjtPexDrmLvyXHO-)
He starts talking about 6 and a half minutes in
Some people are just built different.
RIP.
Brave man. RIP.
What a shitty war
Slava Ukraini
You would need your head examined going over and fighting as a foreigner for any military during a conflict, you are the most expendable unless you have actually useful skills. Then the risks of being thought of as being a spy.
Warrior and patriot. Fighting for a great cause. Rip. Slava Ukraini
Legend. RIP.
A man of infinite courage. May he rest in peace and may the Russian invaders go the fuck back home to their own country.
Slava Ukraini
Died fighting against imperialism, ar dheis dé go raibh a anam.