The body of the first New Zealander killed in Ukraine nearly three years ago is finally being returned home.

Dominic Abelen was killed in August 2022 while fighting in the East of Ukraine on leave without pay from the Defence Force.

He was working to take over a Russian trench line in the Vuhledar region when he was wounded and died in battle.

The soldier's body ended up in Russian hands after his team came under intense fire while trying to retrieve him.

Today, he was finally returned to Ukraine where fellow soldiers and former members of his unit performed a haka before the body is repatriated from Kyiv to New Zealand.

His coffin was covered with both New Zealand and Ukrainian flag and he was presented with two medals, the GUR award "Ukraine above all", as well as the medal "For military merits".

The body was initially expected to be returned to Ukraine in October 2022 during a two hour ceasefire arranged for a handover.