A farewell ceremony was held in Kyiv for Dominik “Tolkien” Abelen, a soldier of the International Legion of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR), who was killed in combat in the Donetsk region in August 2022. Only now has his body been returned to Ukraine, where he was laid to rest with military honours.
Abelen was a citizen of New Zealand and a representative of the indigenous Māori people. Born in Nelson City, he grew up in a large family with five siblings and was a caring uncle to his nephews and nieces.
Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Abelen served as a corporal in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and had combat experience in Iraq. In 2022, he responded to Ukraine’s call and joined the International Legion. Initially serving as a military instructor, he became a machine gunner in a combat unit in the summer of that year.
On 23 August 2022, he was wounded and killed during a combat operation near Vuhledar.
During the farewell ceremony, his fellow soldiers honoured Dominik Abelen by performing the haka, the traditional Māori warrior dance.
The Anti-Imperial Block of Nations expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives of the deceased and his brothers.
Heroes don’t die! They will live forever in our memory.
