A 40-year-old soldier from Ireland was killed in the Bakhmut battle

The Irish citizen volunteered and had combat experience in Syria, where he fought against the Islamic State.

Irish citizen Finbar Cafferkey, who was a military volunteer with previous combat experience in Syria, where he helped Kurdish militias in their battle against ISIS, was killed in the battles against the Russian occupiers near the city of Bakhmut.

This was reported by the Independent with reference to a statement by the family of the deceased soldier.

"Finbar Kefferki's family learned that he was killed near the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. At the moment, they are waiting for more information from the Ukrainian authorities and ask that their privacy be respected," the statement said.

The news of the 40-year-old volunteer's death was confirmed by his father Tom, who refused to specify the circumstances of his son's death or provide any additional comments.

"We are grieving... This is a personal matter. I don't want to say anything else," he said.

On the island of Achilles, where Finbar Kefferki was from, his friends spoke of the deceased's dedication to humanitarian and environmental causes.

"I know that about eight years ago he was working on the border between Greece and Macedonia, helping migrants who were coming down from boats. It was a little strange when we found out from newspaper reports that he had fought in Syria. No one here, except maybe his family, knew that he was in Ukraine," said one of the deceased's countrymen.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ireland confirmed that it is providing consular assistance to Mr. Kefferkey's family.

Author - Serhii Kolomiets, 29/04/2023