A former soldier Tenby Powell, says an awful lot of work, through diplomacy and operational channels, will be needed to return the body of slain soldier Dominic Abelen back to New Zealand.
Thirty-year-old Corporal Abelen was on leave without pay from the Defence Force when he was killed in eastern Ukraine this week.
Multiple sources have told RNZ they believe his body is in Russian hands.
Government ministers declined to be interviewed on what will be done to retrieve the solder and can't say whether or not the body is now in Russian hands.
However, Powell, who's in Ukraine providing humanitarian aid and helping with the evacuation of civilians, spoke to Morning Report producer Karen Brown.
