DONETSK, May 21. /TASS/. Four servicemen of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) were killed and 11 injured in the past 24 hours, Deputy Head of the DPR's People's Militia Eduard Basurin said on Saturday.

"We regret to inform that four defenders of the Donetsk People’s Republic were killed and 11 injured in the past 24 hours while fulfilling their combat duty," the People’s Militia press service quoted him as saying in its official Telegram channel.

Eight populated areas of DPR were shelled in the reported period, he said, adding that a house and a football field were damaged as a result. Over 140 projectiles were fired towards the republic’s territory in the reported period.

The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17. The DPR and LPR reported the most intense shelling from Ukraine in recent months. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his recognition of the DPR and LPR’s sovereignty. Russia recognized the republics within the borders that have been established by their constitutions (the administrative borders of Donetsk and Lugansk regions at the beginning of 2014).

On February 24, Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories, but aimed to demilitarize and denazify the country. DPR and LPR started their operation to liberate their territories, which are under Kiev's control.