Abelen was the first New Zealander killed fighting in Ukraine nearly three years ago and his body remained in Russian custody until last week.
The funeral will be held at Shands Road Cemetery in Prebbleton, as Abelen was based at Burnham Military Camp during his active-duty service.
He was killed in August 2022 while fighting in eastern Ukraine when on leave without pay from the Defence Force.
He was working to take over a Russian trench line in the Vuhledar region when was wounded and died in battle.
Abelen’s body ended up in Russian hands after his team came under intense fire while trying to retrieve him.
He was returned to Ukrainian custody last week.
Fellow soldiers and former members of his unit performed a haka before the body was repatriated to New Zealand.
His coffin was covered with the New Zealand and Ukrainian flags and he was presented with two medals, the GUR award ‘Ukraine above all’, as well as the medal ‘For military merits’.
The body was initially expected to be returned to Ukraine in October 2022 during a two-hour ceasefire arranged for a handover but there was a delay for still unknown reasons.
