DONETSK, August 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian troops have suffered heavy losses in southeastern Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic army headquarters said on Thursday.

From August 24 militias changed their tactic to large-scale operations by fully capable units and encircled three Ukrainian groupings, the army headquarters said.

“During the counteroffensive, militias inflicted heavy losses on the Ukrainian troops. A total of 750 Ukrainian punitive troops were either killed or wounded. Over 150 Ukrainian troops have voluntarily surrendered to militias overnight,” the militia headquarters said.

Donetsk fighters said Ukrainian troops were forced to leave several settlements in the region. The fighters seized four armored carriers, three infantry fighting vehicles, three anti-tank guns, a self-propelled artillery gun, trucks and an ammunition depot.

In the Luhansk region militias took control of checkpoints and strong points on the outskirts of the city, and a bridge, the DPR army headquarters said.

So far, ITAR-TASS has no confirmation of these reports from other sources.