More NZers expected to fight

WELLINGTON: Former defence minister Ron Mark says the number of unauthorised New Zealanders fighting in Ukraine is likely to swell after the death of one of their countrymen.

Corporal Dominic Abelen (28), on leave without pay from the New Zealand Army, was killed last month fighting in Ukraine.

He died in the eastern region under heavy Russian gunfire, and his body has not been recovered.

Mr Mark, a former soldier who served as defence minister from 2017 to 2020, estimated about 20 New Zealanders were fighting as part of an international legion.

He believed more would soon follow. ‘‘Yes it’s an emotional response and yes there’s a desire for revenge.

‘‘A guy that they respected, knew and loved has just been killed over there.

‘‘From the feedback I’m getting, the number of interested inquiries has ballooned quite considerably.’’

Efforts to recover Cpl Abelen’s body were ceased due to risk, Mr Mark said.

Soldiers in Ukraine had come under heavy fire trying to recover the body and had to abandon their efforts.

Those fighting alongside Cpl Abelen had had tough decisions to make.

‘‘I know it became very clear to them exactly where Dom and his mate were laying and they made snap decisions.

‘‘They had attempts but they came under such intense mortar and artillery fire that they had to withdraw.

‘‘Dom would not have wanted someone to die trying to recover his dead body and they knew that.’’

The situation had likely become of political interest to the Russians, from which point it was ‘‘impossible’’ for the soldier’s fellow fighters to retrieve his body, Mr Mark said.

‘‘So long as Dom was just another body on the battlefield, to the Russians, then there was a chance that he was just going to be left there and the Russians wouldn’t have paid any mind to him,’’ he said.

‘‘The moment it became public back in New Zealand, that he was a New Zealander, what his name was, that he was a serving infantry soldier in the New Zealand Army, clearly was going to become of political interest to the Russians to get his body as quickly as they could and hold it.’’

That information would have been channelled back to Russia very quickly.

‘‘Russia would have initiated plans and instructions to get that body off the field and get possession of it.

‘‘At that point, totally impossible for his mates to recover him and that’s just the sad reality.’’

Mr Mark said he was open to talking to anyone considering going about the realities of Ukraine compared with what they might have experienced in Afghanistan.

‘‘We’re at the stage now where if we accept the fact that New Zealanders are going to go then we need to accept that there’s potentially going to be another New Zealander killed over there.’’

He would like the Government to set up an embassy in Kyiv for both political and diplomatic reasons, and to encourage New Zealanders who did land in the country for military purposes to register themselves as being there.

‘‘We could put a New Zealand presence on the ground equal to the presence we have in Moscow,’’ he said.

‘‘There are so many reasons why we should do that right now, pending a Ukrainian victory. It’s better to be in now when Ukraine really needs help than showing up after the party’s over.’’ — RNZ/AAP

KYIV: European leaders sought to ease the impact of high energy prices across the continent after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned of a difficult winter, even as he reported progress in a counteroffensive against Russian troops.

In his nightly remarks yesterday, Zelenskiy thanked his forces for taking two settlements in the south and a third, along with additional territory, in the east, citing ‘‘good reports’’ from his military commanders and intelligence head.

Ukraine began the counteroffensive last week, targeting the south, particularly the Kherson region, which Russia seized early in the conflict.

Zelenskiy’s remarks came a day after he warned Europeans that Russia was preparing ‘‘a decisive energy blow’’ during the cold months ahead.

Moscow has cited Western sanctions and technical issues for the energy disruptions.

European countries, which have backed Kyiv with diplomatic and military support, have accused Russia of weaponising energy supplies.

Some analysts say the shortages and a surge in living costs as winter approaches risk sapping Western support for Kyiv as governments try to soothe disgruntled populations.

Last week, Moscow said it would keep closed the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, its main gas channel to Germany, while G7 countries announced a planned price cap on Russian oil exports.

The Kremlin said it would stop selling oil to nations that adopted the cap.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday his government had been planning for a total halt in gas deliveries in December, promising measures to lower prices.

In response, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev accused Germany of being an enemy of Russia.

‘‘In other words, it has declared a hybrid war on Russia,’’ he said.

On Sunday, Finland and Sweden announced plans to offer billions of dollars to power firms to avert the threat of insolvency amid the crisis.