Two reserve soldiers ‘may be in Ukraine’

The Defence Force says two of its reserve soldiers ‘‘may be in Ukraine’’ but it cannot be certain.

The military has been urgently checking the whereabouts of nearly 100 personnel on unpaid leave, after Corporal Dominic Bryce Abelen, 28, was killed while fighting for Ukraine without the permission or knowledge of the Defence Force while on leave.

A Defence Force spokesperson said yesterday most of the personnel on unpaid leave had been contacted, and none were believed to have travelled to Ukraine. But two reserve soldiers had been identified as possibly being in the war-torn country.

‘‘It has come to the army’s attention that two reserve army soldiers, both lance corporals, may be in Ukraine, or were there previously,’’ the spokesperson said.

‘‘This is according to information the army has been advised of from family and social media, but this has not been independently verified.’’

One of the soldiers had resigned from the army earlier this year, choosing to be on ‘‘standby reserve’’ and therefore unattached to a military unit. The second soldier was a member of the 5/7 Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, a reserve infantry battalion based at Trentham, Upper Hutt.

The Defence Force had ‘‘no verifiable information about the current status of the two men, including whether they are still in Ukraine, their location in that country, nor what they are or were specifically doing there’’, the spokesperson said.

‘‘Neither soldier sought any form of permission to travel to Ukraine.’’

The country’s 3000 reservists, of whom 2000 were soldiers, were now being contacted by their officers to ‘‘remind them of their obligations’’.

The Defence Force previously said no serving solider had entered Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February. No requests to travel to Ukraine would be granted, and personnel who got involved in unapproved military operations could face ‘‘a range of outcomes’’.

Soldiers who were on unpaid leave were still considered serving soldiers, but could ‘‘pursue other employment opportunities during this time and travel’’, the spokesperson said. While on leave, they were required to notify their superiors of their travel plans. However, they did not have to ‘‘check in routinely’’.

Abelen, who died on the front line in Ukraine in August, had travelled to Ukraine and joined its foreign legion.