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THIS is the bizarre moment a group of soldiers were caught playing Pokemon Go – on the front line of one of the world's deadliest war zones.

The Ukrainian squaddies were filmed playing the virtual game on their smartphones in eastern Ukraine.

A Ukrainian soldier has been filmed playing Pokemon just miles from the front line with Russian forces
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A Ukrainian soldier has been filmed playing Pokemon just miles from the front line with Russian forcesCredit: CEN
The young squaddie walks around as he hunts for a rare Pokemon, later admitting he has found Pikachu
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The young squaddie walks around as he hunts for a rare Pokemon, later admitting he has found PikachuCredit: CEN
All the while, a heavily-armed comrade stands beside him expressionless
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All the while, a heavily-armed comrade stands beside him expressionlessCredit: CEN

Two young soldiers are seen glued to their phones as they wander around in search of Pokemon characters as two colleagues, armed with machine guns, keep watch.

One of the soldiers, named as Nikolay Nagornyi, says on camera: "Rare and unique species of Pokemon have been found here in the Dokuchaevsk area.

"We even saw Pikachu here yesterday. We invite everyone to join us and take part in searching and hunting for these rare Pokemon."

And the soldier promised that adventurous Pokemon hunters would be provided with everything they needed, including "cheap mine detectors and protective gloves".

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He added: "Some Pokemon bite, you know..."

The video was filmed near the Eastern Ukrainian town of Dokuchaevsk in the Donetsk Oblast region which is occupied and controlled by pro-Russian militants.

The clip, recorded by another soldier, quickly went viral after it was uploaded to social media and local internet forums.

And it became even more popular after Ukrainian MP Igor Lapin posted it on his social media page.

Another soldier joins in with the game as they seek yet more Pokemon in the eastern Ukraine
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Another soldier joins in with the game as they seek yet more Pokemon in the eastern UkraineCredit: CEN
The game has proved a worldwide hit, with millions signing up to 'catch 'em all'
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The game has proved a worldwide hit, with millions signing up to 'catch 'em all'Credit: CEN
Ukrainian forces are currently observing a tense ceasefire with pro-Russian units
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Ukrainian forces are currently observing a tense ceasefire with pro-Russian unitsCredit: CEN
Yet even in one of the world's deadliest regions, the soldiers found time to play the addictive game
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Yet even in one of the world's deadliest regions, the soldiers found time to play the addictive game

One unnamed commenter said: "This video was a brave but dangerous joke. They risked their lives to film this, but was it really worth it? What if somebody got killed?"

The popular game requires users to capture virtual Pokemon animals by using a phone to locate them.

Ukrainian forces are currently maintaining a fragile truce with rebel fighters who want Russia to control the eastern half of the country.

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