Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called on the mothers of Russian soldiers to prevent their sons being sent to “war” in Ukraine, AFP reported.

"I want to say it again for Russian mothers. Especially for mothers of conscripts. Do not send your children to war in a foreign land,” Zelensky said on a video broadcast on Telegram.

“Do not believe the promises that they will be sent just somewhere for exercises or just somewhere in non-combat conditions. Check where your son is."

He continued, "(For Russian mothers) And if you have even the slightest suspicion that your son may be sent to the war against Ukraine, act immediately. Do not give your son to death or captivity."

On Wednesday, Russia acknowledged for the first time the presence of conscripts in Ukraine and announced that a number of them had been captured.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has published phone numbers and emails through which mothers can obtain information about their sons imprisoned in Ukraine.