A New Zealand fighter has reportedly died on the frontlines in Ukraine.
Veteran soldier Kane Te Tai - whose call sign was ‘Turtle’ - travelled to the country shortly after Russia’s invasion in April last year.
A prolific social media user, his accounts have recently fallen silent.
This is from a post just last week where Kane helped save a Ukrainian friend he thought had been killed.
If confirmed, Kane would be the third New Zealander to be killed in Ukraine.
MFAT said it’s aware of reports of a New Zealander’s death in Ukraine but the reports aren’t yet officially verified
Aaron Wood co-founded veterans’ charity No Duff with Kane and told Tova O'Brien the Kiwi soldier had explained he was in the process of training up his replacement and would be ready to leave [Ukraine] in a week or two.
"As part of the conversation he implicated (sic) he was training up his replacement as a team leader and quote-unquote I'll be ready to come out in a week or two.
"I just assumed he was taking a break. He's virtually been in constant combat for the last ten months, the highest intensity combat in recent history in the Western world…about 24 hours later he was killed which is incredibly poignant and bittersweet.
"For him, as a veteran, he found his place in the world and he was ready to come home so at least he achieved that, whatever it's worth."
While the body has not been officially confirmed to be Kane, Wood said there are multiple reports stating Te Tai was killed in action on the front lines.
"We understand his remains have been retrieved," Wood said.
"His team are working to get to him to confirm the identity. It definitely was a foreign legion fighter who was retrieved."
His colleagues are hoping to get the body to a morgue which is about an hour away from where the body was recovered, to confirm the identity as soon as possible.
Wood confirmed the body is in Ukrainian possession, a much less complicated situation than Dominic Abelen's.
"I spoke to Kane's mother and explained to her what we intend to do in terms of repatriation and that was her greatest concern, beyond a couple of other points, that she got her boy home."
Listen to the full interview between Aaron Wood and Tova above.
You can also download the full interview on the Tova podcast, and listen on the go.
