RFK Jr. Says Son Conor 'Talked His Way' onto Ukraine War Unit Despite Lacking Combat Experience

Courtesy Robert Kennedy Jr.

Conor Kennedy, the 28-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, recently opened up about helping Ukrainians defend their nation against Russian invaders, telling followers in a lengthy Instagram post that he went in prepared to die if needed.

"Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year. I wanted to help. When I heard about Ukraine's International Legion, I knew I was going, and I went to the embassy to enlist the next day," Conor wrote. "I told one person here where I was, and I told one person there my real name. I didn't want my family or friends to worry, and I didn't want to be treated differently there."

RELATED: Robert F. Kennedy's Grandson Conor Says He Fought in Ukraine: 'Willing to Die There'

Conor's father, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., went on The Megyn Kelly Show Tuesday to speak about his son taking up arms in Ukraine with no prior fighting experience, saying Conor "does not like Putin, he does not like bullies" and he doesn't support Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"He felt that he shouldn't be arguing about it ... unless he was willing to have skin in the game and take his own risk," RFK Jr. said of his son's choice to go to a war zone and join a special forces unit.

"He didn't have any military experience and kind of talked his way into the unit," the elder Kennedy told Kelly, noting that he's strong and athletic, which proved useful. "He's been in firefights, in mainly nighttime, and a lot of artillery fights with the Russians."

RELATED: What to Know About Conor Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy's Grandson Who Says He Fought in Ukraine

Courtesy Robert Kennedy Jr.

As for the family's thoughts now on Conor choosing to fight in another nation's war without alerting loved ones to what he was doing, RFK Jr. said he and his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, were worried by his secrecy.

"He had a job for a law firm, a really good law firm in Los Angeles, and I was looking forward to him living with me for the summer," Robert recalled of Conor's initial summer plans — but when the father tried to pry his son about the law job's start date, he learned that plans had changed and Conor would no longer be visiting Los Angeles. Conor reportedly told his father, "I don't want you to ask me what I'm doing."

"I was like, 'Um...,'" Robert remembered. "And he said, 'I will explain it to you at some point, but I do not want you to ask me now, and if you could respect that it would mean a lot to me.' So I did."

After Conor went off the grid, Robert said he and Hines grew concerned that he was doing something dangerous, so they reviewed his credit card bills for clues of his whereabouts. "The last one we saw was in Poland and then there was one in Ukraine and then they just stopped," Robert told Kelly. "And he didn't tell anyone where he was going or what he was doing."

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It's now clear that Conor returned safely, though not all volunteer soldiers in Ukraine have been so fortunate. The United States advises against traveling to Ukraine right now as a handful of foreign nationals have been trapped, captured or killed.

"This war, like all others, is horrific," Conor wrote in his initial post. "The people I met were the bravest I have ever known. My fellow legionnaires — who came from different countries, backgrounds, ideologies — are true freedom fighters. As are the citizens I knew, many of whom have lost everything in their long struggle against oligarchy, and toward a democratic system. They know this isn't a war between equals, it's a revolution."

YURIY DYACHYSHYN/AFP via Getty Images

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Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades. Details of the fighting change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.

"You don't know where to go, where to run, who you have to call. This is just panic," Liliya Marynchak, a 45-year-old teacher in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, told PEOPLE of the moment her city was bombed — one of numerous accounts of bombardment by the Russians.

The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.

With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.

Putin, 70, insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy, 44, vowed not to bend. "Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness."

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.