Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov says his three sons, aged 14, 15 and 16, will soon travel to the Ukraine front line to fight with Russian forces.

Axar.az reports that Kadyrov is a strong ally of Vladimir Putin, although has recently criticised Russian military leadership.

On social media, he wrote that a father should teach his sons how to protect their family, people and fatherland.

Russia has signed a UN treaty aimed at preventing children under the age of 18 from taking direct part in hostilities.

Using children under the age of 15 to participate in hostilities is considered a war crime by the International Criminal Court. However Russia does not recognise its jurisdiction.

In a long post on the Telegram messaging app, Kadyrov said his sons' military training began when they were much younger, and the time had come for them to experience a real battle.