Russia has sent three tanks to Donetsk region, but they were intercepted by Ukrainian troops near the town of Snizhne, Donetsk region, the Censor.NET online newspaper has reported, citing Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

"Tonight, three T-72 tanks crossed Ukraine's state border from Russia. One tank is in the town of Snizhne. Two other tanks moved out of the town. In the vicinity of Snizhne these tanks were intercepted by Ukrainian troops. The fight is ongoing. There are reports that a Russian T-72 was hit," the newspaper quoted Avakov as saying.

According to Censor.NET, the Russian military in the immediate vicinity of the border with Ukraine have additional forces - armor and Grad BM-21 multiple rocket launcher systems - that could also be sent into Ukraine at any time.

Earlier, the head of the Information Resistance group, Dmytro Tymchuk, wrote on his page on Facebook that illegal armed groups in Snizhne had received two tanks, thought to be T-72s.

"In Ukraine, these tanks were decommissioned from the arsenal of the Armed Forces. However, they are in service with the Russian army. There is also evidence that APCs available to militants in Snizhne were previously captured by Russian soldiers in Crimea at the military units of Ukrainian coastal defense troops," Tymchuk said.