Finbar Cafferkey, the Mayo man killed in Ukraine last month, died during fighting to keep a vital supply route open to the city of Bakhmut.
The devastated city in the east of the country has become an emblem of Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s invasion. Both sides have suffered large causalities in fighting for the city.
Until last week Russian forces seemed to be on the verge of capturing it completely but in recent days a Ukrainian counteroffensive has driven the invaders back from key positions.
Ukrainian forces have been able to maintain a foothold in the city by keeping open a sole supply route between Bakhmut and the nearby town of Chasiv Yar. The route, which has become known as the Road of Life, is used to ferry ammunition and supplies into Bakhmut, rotate troops and bring the injured out.
‘Utterly fearless’: tributes paid to ‘freedom fighter’ Robert Deegan, Irish soldier killed in Ukraine
Former restaurant housing almost 150 Ukrainians to be shut over Christmas due to fire safety concerns
EU needs to be less ‘polite’ in resisting Russian attempts to sway elections
Polish PM Donald Tusk emerges to take leading role on Ukraine
It was on this route than Mr Cafferkey (45) was killed by a Russian mortar strike on April 19th, shortly after a successful attack on Russian positions.
Mr Cafferkey, a veteran activist from Achill Island, was killed alongside two other international volunteers who were fighting with the International Legion of the Territorial Defence Forces of Ukraine.
US Marine veteran Cooper Andrews (26) from Ohio and Russian anarchist Dmitriy Petrov died in the same strike.
At a memorial service for Mr Cafferkey in Achill on Friday, his father Tom said the family was still trying to recover his remains. It is understood these efforts are being hampered by continued fighting on the ground.
“We’ll bring him home, le cúnamh Dé,” he told mourners, which included 40 Ukrainian refugees living on the island.
All three international volunteers worked with various left-wing or anarchist groups supporting the Ukrainian war effort.
Mr Cafferkey, who previously fought with the Kurdish YPG in Syria against Islamic State and was active in the Shell to Sea campaign, was initially classed as missing in action before his death was confirmed.
In the year before his death he worked with several groups in Poland and Ukraine that delivered aid and supplies to the front lines. He then signed up with a combat unit.
He initially worked with an anarchist group based in Poland called ACK Galicia, ferrying vehicles and aid to Ukraine. He also worked with XVX Tacticaid, which refurbishes off-road vehicles for use in the war, Operation Solidarity, which gathered and distributed aid, and a group called Help War Victims.
Mr Cafferkey was known to his colleagues as Chia, which means Mountain in Kurdish. “He loved freedom and hated injustice and he would follow his comrades into the fire. He was a living example of the slogan ‘for our freedom and yours,’ but he was also, above all, our comrade and a true friend,” ACK Galicia said in a social media post.
Meanwhile, Mr Cafferkey’s friend Philip O’Keeffe, who fought with him in Syria with the YPG, is due to hear this week if he will face terrorism charges in London.
Mr O’Keeffe, who holds Irish and US citizenship, was stopped by the Metropolitan Police while travelling through Heathrow airport on his way to Ireland to deliver news of Mr Cafferkey’s death to his family.
The police stopped him under contentious antiterrorism legislation which allows new entrants to the UK to be detained for questioning for up to six hours without cause.
When Mr O’Keeffe refused to hand over the password to his devices, he was accused of obstructing justice and released on bail.
He is due to appear at a closed hearing at a London police station on Saturday where it will be decided if he will face criminal prosecution.
