Russia destroys five Ukrainian saboteurs on the border

The Russian military have stopped a group of Ukrainian saboteurs from violating the state border, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Southern Military District.

"A unit of the Southern Military District, together with a border detachment of the FSB of Russia, prevented a violation of the state border of Russia by sabotage and reconnaissance group from the territory of Ukraine,” the press service of the Southern Military District said.

In order to urgently evacuate the sabotage group, two infantry fighting vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were sent to the territory of Russia from Ukraine. Russia successfully destroyed them with the help of anti-tank weapons.

Five members of Ukraine's sabotage and reconnaissance group were destroyed in the military clash after the saboteurs violated the border with Russia, the press service of the Southern Military District said, RIA Novosti reports.

"As a result of the clash, five members of the sabotage and reconnaissance group, who violated the border of the Russian Federation, were destroyed,” the report says.

No losses among the Russian military were reported.

The Southern Military District also reported that the Russian military managed to destroy two infantry fighting vehicles of the Ukrainian army that violated the border with Russia. The vehicles were sent for the emergency evacuation of the saboteurs.

Interestingly, Ukraine announced that the reports about the destruction of a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group in Russia were not true to fact, Reuters reports with reference to the Ukrainian military.

"There are no Ukrainian soldiers in the Rostov region," Reuters reported. The agency does not specify who exactly made such a statement.

People's Republic of Donetsk asks Russia for military and financial help

The self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk needs military and financial assistance from Russia, an official representative for the People's Militia of the republic, Eduard Basurin said, Interfax reports.

"First of all, it's moral [assistance], financial — I would not refuse either — military assistance is also needed, in different directions,” he said on Solovyov Live YouTube channel.

Kiev and the self-proclaimed republics accuse each other of violating the truce and shelling settlements. Earlier, on February 21, the head of the People's Republic of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, called the current military situation in the republic critical. According to him, Ukrainian troops continue to shell Zaitsevo, Gorlovka, Donetsk, Yasinovataya, Dokuchaevsk and Kominternovo.