'Children, sorry for the mess': Blackboard message from Ukraine school once occupied by Russians

A local resident reacts in front of a destroyed school after a strike in the city of Bakhmut, eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 8.

Notes calling for peace, scribbled on blackboards, have emerged from Ukrainian schools once occupied by Russian forces, according to a CNN report.

In one school situated in a village near the capital Kyiv, a note reportedly written by Russian soldiers apologised to students for the "mess" they had left.

"Children, we're sorry for such a mess, we tried to save the school, but there was shelling," the message said, according to CNN. "Live in peace, take care of yourselves and don't repeat the mistakes your elders made. Ukraine and Russia are one people!!! Peace be with you, brothers and sisters!"

The principal of the school pointed out to CNN the hypocrisy of the message.

"They ruined computers, they took out hard drives, they took away laptops, printers, they left nothing at the school! It's barbarism and hypocrisy," Mikola Mikitchik said.

Another note told students to become peacemakers.

"Be fair and honest with each other, give a helping hand to everyone who needs it," it said. "We hope we will be friends! Become doctors, engineers, teachers -- those who bring peace!"

In another school, situated in Cherihiv, a message read: "We're sorry, we didn't want this war. War is bad, don't fight, children!!".

It has been over 100 days since Russia invaded Ukraine.

After the attack on February 24, Russian forces took control of towns around Kyiv in quick succession.

But a month later, they withdrew from those areas, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. Now, Russians are trying to gain ground in Ukraine's eastern and southern regions.

There is no definitive count of the number of casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war. The conflict has forced over 72 lakh people to flee their homes.