Weeping Russian prisoners of war have said they had no idea they were being sent to invade Ukraine and were used like 'cannon fodder' by commanders who threw them into battle against 'peaceful people defending their territory' after Vladimir Putin's forces took heavy losses in the opening days of the conflict. 

'This is not our war. Mothers and wives, collect your husbands. There is no need to be here,' an injured soldier sat in front of a Ukrainian flag was filmed saying. Other footage showed handcuffed Russian prisoner crying, while saying: 'They don't even pick up the corpses, there are no funerals'. 

Ukraine on Wednesday invited the worried mothers of Russian troops captured on the battlefield to come and collect their sons, in Kyiv's latest apparent attempt to embarrass Moscow after opening a telephone hotline for Russian parents to find out if their sons are among the dead or captured.  

Ukraine says Russia has lost 5,840 soldiers in the opening days of the conflict - some of its fastest losses since the Second World War, if the figure proves accurate - with Putin's men suffering a series of embarrassing defeats as they tried to pull off a quick victory but instead met with stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces.

Russia's advance has since slowed to a crawl as commanders regroup, change strategy, and renew their assault in what is now expected to become an increasingly bloody war of resources with Kyiv's men facing overwhelming odds. The Ministry of Defence said Russia had renewed the fight on 'all fronts' Wednesday and 'suffered losses'.