The people's militias of the Donetsk and Luhansk have launched an offensive with the fire support of Russian troops, Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, RIA Novosti reported.

According to him, the DPR and LPR fighters managed to repel the aggression and break the leading edge of the echeloned and well-equipped defence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

In particular, the grouping, near Volnovakha, advanced three kilometres, and the formations near the town of Shchastia advanced one and a half kilometres.

"Intelligence data show that Ukrainian Armed Forces units and servicemen are leaving their positions en masse, abandoning their weapons. The positions of the AFU units that have laid down their weapons are not being targeted," he said.