The moment a New Zealander in Ukraine reportedly rescued a friend he believed to be dead has been captured on video.
The clip, posted on Instagram page kaneactual, appears to show a Kiwi volunteer soldier storm an area held by Russian forces.
A PayPal link on the Instagram page appears to identify the Kiwi as Kane Te Tai, who Stuff reports is an ex-New Zealand soldier that arrived in Ukraine at the beginning of May last year.
"We hit a Russian position a few days ago and after a quick battle and breach we started clearing the bunker and basement," he wrote.
Kane Te Tai thought his mate had died. (Source: 1News)
From the stairwell, a person yelled out "I'm Ukrainian" in Ukrainian, he said.
"I stopped the lads from tossing a grenade in... Skeptical, we felt a trap brewing, we pushed forward and I started to go through the search process. I got on him and searched his body and tossed him to his front.
"Then his eyes met mine."
In the video, a man can be heard yelling as he recognises his saviour: "New Zealand! New Zealand!"
"I recognised him, it was my friend who I thought was killed by the Russians when they invaded his house," kaneactual wrote.
"Heavily starved for two months and forced to drink anti freeze for entertainment, he barely looked like the man I knew a couple of months ago.
"But it was the best thing to happen to me in this God foresaken war. To be able to save your friends is something that almost never happens but I'm thankful and feel blessed that it was us that could pull him from that Hell hole."
The New Zealand Government has warned Kiwis considering travelling to Ukraine not to go.
"There is a real risk to life. New Zealanders currently in Ukraine are advised to depart as soon as it is safe to do so," a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson has said.
"The New Zealand Government is severely limited in its ability to provide consular assistance to New Zealand citizens in Ukraine."
Two New Zealanders have been killed in Ukraine - Dominic Abelen, a NZ soldier who was on leave without pay - and Andrew Bagshaw, who was killed while trying to help an older woman from Soledar.
'A righteous fight' - friend of Kiwi volunteer
Aaron Wood, a retired soldier who set up veterans' welfare charity No Duff, told 1News he's known Te Tai for seven years and speaks to him regularly.
Wood said "it's a good fight, it's a righteous fight" in Ukraine against Russian forces.
"In a place where you don't have a lot to be happy about, this was the happiest moment," he added.
"It's not every day you get to save a friend, especially after two months of thinking he was dead."
Wood wouldn't say exactly where the video was filmed for security reasons.
And he stressed that the New Zealanders in Ukraine are "not mercenaries".
"They're serving in the Ukrainian armed forces... they serve under the flag of Ukraine."
SHARE ME