'He was saving lives': New Zealander killed in Ukraine
A New Zealand man has been killed in Ukraine.
Shan-Le Kearns' family confirmed his death to 1News.
They said Kearns, 26, wasn't on the front line, but had been trained in combat when he arrived there so he could help rescue those who were injured on the battlefield.
His mother, Elis Kearns, said Shan-Le "loved what he was doing", and she was going to keep telling herself that.
Shan-Le Kearns' mother, Elis Kearns. (Source: 1News)
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"He was saving lives. Then he was going back to save more, when a drone dropped a grenade on him."
She said, at this stage, he was unable to be brought home.
"He is in bits and pieces in enemy territory. They have tried to retrieve [him], but were unsuccessful. They have told us at the very earliest it will be six months before anything can get done."
Shan-Le Kearns is the fourth New Zealander to be killed. Lisa Davies spoke with his mother. (Source: 1News)
Elis said she was working with The Weatherman Foundation to help with logistics and DNA samples.
"It is going to be a very long process."
She said the work was "keeping me sane" in wake of the news, and she was "very proud" of his accomplishments while in Ukraine, and she wanted to continue living the best life she could to "honour him".
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"He was so helpful, so caring, especially for the underdogs you know, he would fight for them. He's pretty open minded, and he's wise in his age I reckon. Because for him to survive two whole years in the Ukraine, and still take newbies under his wing and help them out ... he makes sure everyone is cared for."
Elis Kearns plays the last video she received from her son before his death. (Source: 1News)
In a video taken before his death, Shan-Le said he was going to stay another year to fulfil his three year contract in Ukraine.
"Although, I've noticed that most veterans tend to become unlucky after two years," he was shown saying. "But don't worry about me, just live your life, enjoy your time, I'll probably be back eventually.
"We're on rotation so I should be safe for the next few months at least. Anyway, enjoy your time, I'll see you when I'm looking at you."
A friend of Kearns told 1News he was not a soldier.
Social media posts indicated he was killed in Kharkiv Oblast in early April, but the man's friend said it was unclear where his body was.
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Russia launched drone-and-missile attacks on Ukraine on May 25, destroying civilian infrastructure in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr Oblasts. (Source: Getty)
Shan-le Kearns was the fourth New Zealander known to be killed in Ukraine — after Dominic Abelen, Andrew Bagshaw and Kane Te Tai.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement it was aware of media reports, and was 'urgently seeking more information from Ukrainian officials".
"Given the situation on the ground in Ukraine, this may take some time.'
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