The family of New Zealand humanitarian Andrew Bagshaw say he appears to have been executed by Russian or Wagner forces on the frontline in Ukraine, in an apparent war crime.

Through months of investigation, Andrew’s parents, Philip Bagshaw and Dame Susan Bagshaw, have determined the official story told of their son’s death, that he was killed by an artillery strike, is untrue.

They now have evidence demonstrating their son was killed by gunshots, and was possibly abused while detained in the days before he was killed. The family want recognition of this possible war crime, and justice.

“There’s a whole story here that’s not been told ... He must have been subject to a war crime; how badly he was abused we’ll probably never know,” Philip Bagshaw said, in an interview with Stuff.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told Stuff he extended his “deepest sympathies” to the Bagshaw family, and the Government would “continue to do all we can” to support them.

“The Government is backing the International Criminal Court’s independent investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine so cases like Andrew’s can be investigated,” he said, in a statement.

The new details of Andrew’s death were revealed in a book The Quiet Hero, written by The Press senior writer Philip Matthews​, due to be published on Tuesday. The Sunday TV programme also broadcast an interview with Bagshaw about his son’s death on Sunday evening.

Among the new evidence obtained by Bagshaw was a British post-mortem report of Andrew’s companion, Chris Parry, that revealed a bullet wound to Parry’s head and torso.

A subsequently obtained Ukrainian post-mortem report of Andrew found the same. And Andrew’s cellphone was activated and unlocked two days after he went missing – indicating he was possibly alive for some days after presumably being captured.

"He was definitely shot. He may well have been abused. We don't like to think how badly, but the report of his post-mortem is horrific,” Bagshaw said.

Andrew, 47, a New Zealand-British dual citizen and son of Canterbury Charity Hospital founders Philip and Susan,, was working as a humanitarian in Ukraine with Parry, 26, when the two went missing while evacuating people from the frontline in Soledar in January.

The town on the front of a brutal battle for nearby Bahkmut, where the Ukrainian military was holding out from attacking Russian forces, including the mercenary outfit the Wagner Group, who ultimately captured a destoryed Soledar, according to Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskyy, in the days after Bagshaw went missing.

Andrew’s body was retrieved and the public made aware of his death on January 25, almost 20 days after he went missing. When a police officer knocked on their door to inform Bagshaw and Dame Susan of the death late in the evening, the story received through official channels was that Andrew and Parry were killed by an artillery strike.

“At this time, we were getting information from many people, and I keep saying to everybody, it was like a [John] Le Carre novel, because each side was telling us not to trust the other, and so on. And we were two weeks without knowing anything, really, except he was missing,” he said.

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As Andrew was a British citizen, Bagshaw had primarily been dealing with the “very good” United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) in working to ascertain the circumstances of Andrew’s death and retrieve his remains. His body was cremated in Kyiv to be flown home, meaning further post-mortems could not be conducted.

But suspicions were raised when they were informed of the outcome of Parry’s post-mortem in the UK: “They were told ... that Chris was shot twice, once through the torso, and once through the head”.

“Now, that sounds exactly like the prescription for an execution.”

This prompted them to obtain and translate Andrew’s post-mortem, which reflected Parry’s, and drew conclusions Bagshaw does not like to discuss.

“I will tell you this, it’s hideous.

“There’s all sorts of reasons for believing that we don’t have the full story. One would be that the [Ukrainian] police took away a whole load of Andrew’s possessions, including his laptop and so on, and they still have one of his mobile phones.

“Another reason is ... there is no question that his phone was activated a couple of days after he went missing ... which would imply that he was conscious two days after he went missing.”

As well as the post-mortem reports, Bagshaw has heard from sources he was unable to divulge but that he said were high-up in Ukraine, who further justified his belief that Andrew was executed.

One source has told them Andrew and Parry were pulled from their car and shot due to suspicion they were troop instructors from the Nato military alliance; another has said the pair’s car was then blown up, hence the claim of an artillery shell killing them.

Bagshaw said it was “by far the most likely scenario” that his son and Parry were hauled from their clearly-marked humanitarian vehicle and killed by the Wagner Group, who “realised they crossed the line here”.

“Arrangements were made for the bodies to be transferred back as part of a prisoner swap, which I gather is a bit unusual.”

Once challenged about the veracity of the official story, the FCDO “played for time”, Bagshaw said, repeating the claimed artillery strike was all they knew. He suspects otherwise.

He has also been talking to New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) and police, which have provided “just moral support”.

“None of them are keen to take it forward. Some of the people involved are very sympathetic to our position ... who believe this should be taken forward as a war crime, and [they] aren’t able to say what they think.“

The Bagshaws are now working with a lawyer and have been informed for two Ukrainian investigations into the deaths. Bagshaw has been told some 30 witnesses have been interviewed, despite earlier being told there were no witnesses.

A full inquest into Parry’s death is expected to take place in the United Kingdom in September, according to reports.

Bagshaw said there was a need for justice, and to register the part of a New Zealander in the “ocean of crime and abuse” that is the Ukraine war. He wanted the Government to take an active interest in the Ukrainian investigations.

"He's just another in thousands of war crimes that are being committed there on a regular basis. The only difference here is he's a New Zealand citizen, and it should be added a New Zealand citizen has been [a victim] because, if and when there is ever a day of reckoning, there will be a list and New Zealand should be on that list.”

Stuff asked the FCDO about what it knew of Andrew’s death and whether it would pursue the matter further. A spokesperson only confirmed the foreign office “supported the family of a British man following his death in Ukraine, and engaged with the local authorities”.

Hipkins, in the statement, said New Zealand had provided $2.6m to the International Criminal Court to support war crimes investigations, and a senior Defence Force military officer was being provided to support the court.

The Government would support the court to “pursue justice for all victims of Russia’s war crimes”.

A Mfat spokesperson said it had passed on any information it held about Andrew’s death to the Bagshaw family, and if new information came to light it would be provided.

The spokesperson said the Ukrainian authorities were “best placed” to pursue any investigations.

“We extend our sympathies to the Bagshaw family. The loss of a family member is always a tragic event, and this is magnified when that person dies far away from their family,” the Mfat spokesperson said.

A New Zealand police spokesperson said police appreciated the Bagshaw family continued to seek answers about Andrew’s death, and “we acknowledge their concerns”. Police had acted as a conduit for Mfat and the FCDO and held no further information.

Stuff has sought comment from Ukrainian government representatives, who did not respond by deadline.