Moment sobbing Russian soldiers slam Putin for killing ‘civilians and children’ in ‘treacherous’ invasion of Ukraine

THIS is the harrowing moment a group of sobbing Russian soldiers apologised for killing "civilians and children" in Ukraine.

The captured pilots slammed Vladimir Putin's "treacherous invasion" during an emotional press conference on Sunday.

It's understood the seven army reconnaissance officers were shot down from Ukrainian airspace last week.

They were later given the opportunity to speak to journalists at the Interfax Ukraine News Agency - and apologise for their country's actions.

One of the soldiers, Galkin Sergey Alekseevich, said: "I apologise for myself, for my squad to every home to every street to every citizen of Ukraine, to the elderly, to women, to children for our invasion of these lands.

"I gravely apologise for our treacherous invasion.

"To the generalship of our military units I would like to say one thing - that they've acted cowardly, that they acted traitorously to us."

The 34-year-old, from Roschchinsky, Russia, went on to beg warmongering Putin to "stop sending soldiers" to kill in Ukraine.

Flanked by his comrades on either side with a microphone in front of him, he urged his country to lay down its arms.

"I would like to say to all regiments of the Russian army - lay down your arms," Mr Alekseevich said.

"And Russian president Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin stop further combat actions.

"Stop bombings, stop sending soldiers here to kill civilians, to perform airstrikes."

His desperate plea comes after demoralised Russian soldiers last week begged to go home in intercepted calls to their families, saying they were being "massacred" in Ukraine.

One shaken trooper broke down in tears as kind-hearted Ukrainians helped him call his mum.

Another said he and his comrades were like "cannon fodder" adding he would "do anything to come back home".

Yesterday, an entire CITY in Ukraine was wiped out as the horrific battle continues to get bloodier.

Russian forces have also been accused of gunning down women and children - killing seven civilians who were trying to escape a village near Kyiv.

Russian-backed separatists claimed to have captured the strategic city of Volnovakha, which is the same size as Truro in Cornwall.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the Donetsk region, said most civilians in Volnovakha had escaped - but there was barely anything left of the city.

"In general, Volnovakha with its infrastructure as such no longer exists," he said.

It comes after defiant Volodymyr Zelensky vowed Russia will only take Kyiv if Vladimir Putin's troops "raze it to the ground" as the Ukrainian capital prepares for a siege.

The battle around the capital is raging on as Russian forces close in, with brave Ukrainian soldiers setting up tank traps on the streets to repel invaders.

Putin's troops are inching closer and are believed to be just 15 miles from the city as terrified Ukrainians continue to flee their homes.