New Zealand soldier killed in Ukraine while on leave

WELLINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) – A New Zealand soldier on leave from the armed forces has reportedly been killed in Ukraine, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) said on Wednesday.

“The New Zealand Army will work closely with the family of the soldier to offer support at this deeply sad time,” it said. No further details were available, it added.

The soldier was on leave without pay and not on active duty with the NZDF.

The NZDF does not have people in Ukraine, although it has troops in Britain helping to train Ukrainians in front-line combat.

Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that the slowing pace of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine was deliberate, and driven by the need to reduce civilian casualties.

Speaking at a meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Uzbekistan, Shoigu said: “Everything is being done to avoid casualties among civilians. Of course, this slows down the pace of the offensive, but we are doing this deliberately.”

Russia’s war effort in Ukraine has made little progress in recent months , after its troops were pushed back from Kyiv in the early weeks of the war.