Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a press conference in regard of Russia's attack on Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a press conference in regard of Russia's attack on Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine on February 24, 2022.Photo by Ukrainian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • President Zelensky told Russian troops not to trust their commanders or Kremlin propaganda.
  • "Do not believe your commanders. Do not believe your propagandists," he said in a video message.
  • He also said Ukrainians with combat experience would be released from jails to help fight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Russian troops on Monday that they should not trust their commanders or Kremlin propaganda.

"Throw away your equipment and leave," Zelensky said in a video statement posted on Telegram on Monday. "Do not believe your commanders. Do not believe your propagandists. Just save your lives — leave."

He added: "We dedicate every hour to strengthening our state. Anyone who can join the fight against the invaders must do so."    

Zelensky also said Ukrainians with combat experience would be released from jails and prisons to help fight against Russia.

He said the decision was "not easy from a moral point of view" but "useful" for the country's protection.

"When I ran for presidency, I said that each of us is the president because we are all responsible for our state," Zelensky said. "And now it turns out that each of us is a warrior."

Fighting intensified on Monday, with dozens reportedly killed in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv. 

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian and Russian delegation were meeting along the Belarus border for talks.

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