Kiev, Mar 16 (IANS): Russian hackers broke into the live newsfeed of the TV channel Ukraina 24 and posted a fake "statement" of surrender by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The President immediately recorded a video suggesting that the Russians lay down their weapons.

The TV channel said: "The news ticker on Ukraina 24 and the Sohodni (Today) website have been broken into by enemy hackers and are broadcasting a message from Zelensky about an alleged ‘surrender'. Friends, we have given several warnings about this. This is fake! No one is going to surrender, least of all when the Russian army is being defeated by the Ukrainian army," Ukrayinska Pravda reported.

The statement is no longer being broadcast on air, but a recording can be seen.

"With regard to the latest childish provocation alleging that I'm suggesting we put down our weapons, I suggest that the only people who should put their weapons down – and go home – are the Russian military," Zelensky said.

"We are at home, we are defending our land, our children, our families. So we're not about to put down any weapons until we have won," he added.