DONETSK, August 24 /ITAR-TASS/. The army of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has blocked completely a large grouping of Kiev military forces in six republican settlements on Sunday.

The headquarters of the 8th army corps, 28th and 30th motor rifle brigades, 95th Ukrainian air mobile brigade, punitive battalions Aidar, Donbass and Shakhtersk were entrapped, the DPR army headquarters said citing reconnaissance data.

“Around five thousand servicemen with weapons and around 50 tanks, more than 200 combat armoured vehicles, about 50 multiple launch rocket systems Grad and Uragan, more than 100 artillery guns and mortars were blocked in the trap,” the army headquarters said.

The DPR army has tightened the assault on a military grouping of around two thousand servicemen from punitive battalions Azov and Dnepr which are armed with around 30 tanks, more than 80 armoured vehicles, over 60 artillery guns and mortars. DPR military forces are destroying this Ukrainian grouping near the settlement of Olenovskoye, the army headquarters added.

These successful military operations became possible thanks to the fact that the DPR army headquarters decided to pass from military action by small units to full-scale operations by full-fledged formations and army units.

“The DPR army headquarters decided to give up action by small units and shift to military action by full-fledged formations and army units which are provided with full fire support,” the republican army headquarters said.

Three infantry brigades were formed from militia units. A voluntary regiment was set up of Ukrainian servicemen, who had voluntarily taken DPR side, and Donbass coalminers.

“For the last two days two tank battalions, three multiple launch rocket system battalions, two self-propelled howitzer battalions, three battalions of cannon artillery guns of different calibers and eight mortar batteries have been formed of military hardware and weaponry militias had captured in a counteroffensive operation for the last two days,” the army headquarters noted.