Body of Irishman who died on Ukrainian frontline last year remains undiscovered

Mr Cafferkey died on April 19, 2023, in a Russian mortar strike that killed two other foreign fighters, former US Marine Cooper Andrews and Russian anarchist Dmitriy Petrov.

He was killed while trying to secure a “crucial” supply line in Bakhmut.

He and Mr Petrov previously fought with left-wing Kurdish militia group YPG against Islamic State in northern Syria.

His death and the search for his body are the subject of Caillte san Úcráin (Lost in Ukraine), a new TG4 documentary presented by investigative journalist Kevin Magee.

The remains of Mr Cafferkey were previously believed to have been recovered from the battlefield, awaiting positive identification.

But following an investigation made as part of the documentary, Mr Cafferkey has been deemed “missing-in-action”.

The documentary also hears from Mr Cafferkey’s parents Tom and Celine, sisters Méadhbh and Orla, brother Colm and other Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the frontline.

In the programme, Mr Magee travels to Ukraine to learn more about Mr Cafferkey’s death and the disappearance of his body, while also uncovering his decision to join the fight in Ukraine and the impact his death has had on his family.

In the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, Mr Magee speaks to a former volunteer soldier who trained with the Co Mayo native and who was set to take part in the Bakhmut mission in which he was killed.

Andrii, a Ukrainian soldier injured on the frontline in the region where Mr Cafferkey was killed, told the programme that it is “almost impossible” to recover bodies from the battlefield.

‘It’s almost impossible to do that, and we even had cases where we had a so-called agreement between Russian troops and our allocation team was entering to pick up the bodies, and they were immediately shot,” he said.

“Only in some rare cases where the commanders of units from both sides have an agreement is it possible to recover bodies. But in general, it’s very, very, very difficult.”

The 39-year-old, who did not give his surname for security reasons, said operating in Bakhmut “is always quite difficult” as Russian forces in the region heavily outnumber and outgun the Ukrainian military.

 "When you fight there, it’s non-stop strikes and shelling,” he said.

Also speaking on the programme, Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Larysa Gerasko denied the previous reports that his body had been recovered and was awaiting identification in a morgue.

“I have some information from our minister of defence. His body hasn't been identified yet, and he’s missing in action. Unfortunately, I don't have any more information except that,” she said.

“We are on to our authorities to find his body and to identify him but that is without success unfortunately. It's our duty to find not only the bodies of foreigners, but Ukrainians as well, but it's very difficult in such a brutal war.”

Caillte san Úcráin airs on TG4 and tg4.ie from 9.30pm on Wednesday, February 28