From war to recovery: Ukrainian soldier finds new life in Cork after beating cancer

Ihor Larionenko’s battle with cancer saved his life, leading him from the frontline to a fresh start in Cork

Ihor Larionenko during his time on the frontline in Ukraine. 'Most of my friends are not alive. Some of them disappeared. They are missing. Nobody knows where they are right now.'

Former Ukrainian soldier Ihor Larionenko could never have predicted the ironic twist that forced him to leave the frontline and seek refuge with his family in Cork City.

While it seems bizarre to suggest that a cancer diagnosis might have saved him, the self-described man of nine lives believes his fate was predestined.