A GoFundMe to cover his funeral costs has since been set up.
Oleksandr Zavhorodniy, a Ukrainian man who left Ireland to defend his country, has been killed in the conflict.
According to RTÉ, Mr Zavhorodniy returned to his home country three weeks ago after Russia invaded Ukraine. He had been living in Ireland for the past 20 years, and worked in Aldi in Sandyford, Dublin.
He had been fighting in Popasna, near Luhansk in Ukraine when he was killed.
Mr Zavhorodniy was a father of two and had separated from his partner. It’s understood that they are safe.
A fundraiser has since been set up to cover the cost of his funeral, and many of his friends and family have paid tribute to him.
Anya Neilande, his friend of 14 years, told RTÉ that he was kind and giving, and when he arrived in Poland, he emptied his wallet and gave money to women refugees fleeing the conflict.
Another one of his friends, Alex Cucuet, said that their friend group tried to prevent him from leaving Ireland and going to Ukraine.
He told The Independent: “I was concerned when he told me he was going to Ukraine and a few of us tried to stop him.
“He told us he couldn’t just stay here and wait for everything to be finished. He was really proud of the Ukrainian army and had done military service when he was younger.”
A message on the GoFundMe reads: “When Alex arrived in Warsaw, he gave everything he had at the time to those in need (women and children). When he arrived at the military unit, he kept positive and did his best to calm his worrying family and friends by joking and sending funny pictures… We all will miss his kindness and cracking sense of humor, even in the most challenging situations.”
“This fundraiser aims to try and help his family, who are now away from home, mostly displaced, and devastated. They will not be able to attend his funerals in his hometown Ohtyrka. Still, we want to ensure his family can give Alex the memorial he deserves to honor his memory and say their last goodbyes.”
