Plans are coming together to bring fallen fighter Kane Te Tai home from Ukraine, as authorities wait to confirm the soldier was killed in action this week.
No Duff Charitable Trust for army veterans, which Te Tai co-founded, is trying to ensure a Kiwi goes with him every step of the way.
Even before Te Tai's body was formally identified Aaron Wood swung into action to help bring his good mate home.
"He's a wonderful guy, he's a real man, real character, funny as, happy-go-lucky but a massive massive heart," said Wood.
The pair co-founded No Duff Charitable Trust to help army veterans and Wood worked through the night to start the process of repatriation.
Usually, a foreign fighter would be cremated in Ukraine, but tikanga dictates not.
"It's a cliche you know a life that touched many hearts and achieved a lot but it's a truism in his case."
Te Tai's body is in a field hospital morgue behind Ukrainian lines in Donbas from where it will be sent to Kyiv.
That's when it can be released, taken to Poland and flown back to Aotearoa. Three kiwi veterans, including a medic, have already volunteered to be at his side every step of the way.
"Crucial. It's the most important thing but it's the most important thing after him making it home. I mean if the only option was that he had to come home without someone escorting him that's unfortunate but the next most important thing the priority is having Kiwis with him."
No Duff has set up a Give-a-Little page to help pay for Te Tai's return. Wood has talked twice to his mother Ngaire and says they will do whatever the whanau wishes.
"She has told me that she wants him to be buried in a service plot in a cemetery so we will move mountains to make sure that occurs. Because that is her wish for him and he deserves to be in one."
The 38-year-old joined up aged 17 and served with the New Zealand Defence Force in Afghanistan, Tonga and other overseas theatres.
He joined fighters in Ukraine last April knowing he may not return alive.
Ngaire Te Tai told RNZ she and her husband had no other choice but to accept his decision.
"We tried to stop him [from] going over but he had his mind made up. That's just Kane."
The Prime Minister won't discuss repatriation until confirmation of Te Tai's death comes through.
"The war in Ukraine is unjust, it's an illegal invasion by Russia. And so of course we want to support the Ukrainian people. Whilst I understand the sentiment of New Zealanders wanting to go to Ukraine to contribute, New Zealand still has do not travel advice for Ukraine so that is still the position of the New Zealand government."
But one Ukrainian living here is grateful for his service.
"He's a person who I guess got called to fight on the side of, on the right side, to fight for the civilisation we want to have, so yeah we don't want anybody to die but as i say he's a hero," said Olya Tolpyhine.
Te Tai is was mate, a son, a father and a Kiwi whose friends are doing their best to bring him home.
