Russian soldiers blown up by their own mine after being fooled by Ukrainian prank call

A group of Russian soldiers have been blown up by one of their own mines after they were tricked by a Ukrainian prank call.

The troops, who had been posted in Mariupol, reportedly headed to a home on the outskirts of the battleground city after they received a call saying that members of Ukraine's Azov Regiment were stationed there.

A Telegram post by the city's mayor said they then bolted inside expecting to find them — only to be blown up by munitions laid down earlier by Russian forces.

The morale-boosting war message claimed one of the troops was killed in the blast, while another was hospitalised after losing part of his legs.

The troops rushed to a property in Mariupol after being given a fake tip that Ukrainian soldiers were inside (stock) (AFP via Getty Images)

The Mariupol mayor's office claimed one of the Russians was killed while another lost his leg remains in a hospital in Donetsk.

The Azov Regiment, also known as the Azov Battalion, is a controversial group of soldiers who were officially incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine in 2014 after recapturing Mariupol from pro-Russian separatists in June that year.

A number of troops have been accused of ties to Neo-Nazism after they were photographed wearing SS and Swastika symbols.

In a separate development on Monday, Russian troops were warned flee Ukraine by president Volodymyr Zelensky as his forces launched a major offensive.

The Ukrainian military is currently attempting to reclaim invaded territory near the southern city of Kherson after losing the area earlier the year.

One Russian soldier died after the house was found to contain landmines left by their own army (stock) (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Russia responded to the attack by claiming the assault had failed, although it is thought to have seriously disrupted their supply chain.

The ongoing war has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions but recent weeks have seen intense fighting result in something of a stalemate, with Russia struggling to make further gains.

There have been rumours of Russian troops deliberately injuring themselves in order to avoid battle, while 1,000 refused to return from duties in Kazakhstan.

Speaking in a late night address, Zelenskiy said: "If they want to survive, it's time for the Russian military to run away. Go home"