The chief of the information centre of the South-Eastern Front, Konstantin Knyrik, told reporters that the Donetsk militia surrounded a total of seven thousand Ukrainian military men.
"At the moment, we have been able to drive the enemy in three mousetraps - near Ilovaisk, Lutugino and Stepanivka. Altogether, there are at least 7,000 men there from battalions Dnepr, Donbass, Shahtersk, Kherson and others," Knyrik told Interfax.
He added that a large number of Ukrainian military hardware was surrounded as well. According to Knyrik, it goes about more than 40 tanks, 100 infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, Grad volley fire systems and field artillery.
According to Knyrik, some of the surrounded military men try to escape. "Some of them flee, including to Russia, many others want to surrender. We gave them time before this evening, and then we will start massive attacks. Those who will be taken prisoners, will be held in conditions that meet international standards of detention of prisoners of war. We will decide later what to do with them next. Maybe, we will send some of them home," said Knyrik.