DONETSK, February 22. /TASS/. The intelligence of the people’s militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has spotted five Ukrainian BM-21 ‘Grad’ multiple rocket launchers moving to Mariupol from where the republic’s territory can be shelled, Deputy Chief of the DPR People’s Militia Eduard Basurin said on Tuesday.

"We have spotted eight tanks and five BM-21 ‘Grad’ multiple launch rocket systems moving from the training ground near the community of Urzuf to the area of Mariupol from where rocket artillery can accomplish fire tasks against the DPR territory," Basurin said.

On February 21, the DPR intelligence "spotted the arrival of logistics units of the 95th and 25th brigades of the Ukrainian armed forces from their permanent bases at the stations of Druzhovka, Pokrovsk, Volnovakha and Zachatovka," he added.

The situation at the line of engagement in Donbass escalated on the morning of February 17. The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics reported the most massive bombardments by the Ukrainian military in recent months, which damaged civil infrastructure facilities.

On February 18, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin announced evacuations of civilians from the territory of the republics into Russia over the mounting threat of hostilities. On February 19, the Donbass republics announced general mobilization.

On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders.