Ukrainian troops carried out a raid to provide support to a checkpoint near the village of Smile in the Slovyanoserbsky district of the Luhansk region early on Sunday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported.

The operation was performed at Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's order, as a result of which 2 tonnes of water, food, weapons and ammunition were provided to the personnel manning the checkpoint.

"Morale is high at the checkpoint. The personnel are ready to fulfill the tasks assigned," the ministry said.

A checkpoint near the village of Smile was shelled by the militants with Grad launchers earlier on Wednesday, media reports said. Chairman of the Luhansk city administration Hennadiy Moskal said in turn that two checkpoints near the Luhansk-Artemivsk highway had been surrounded by they militia, and 112 troops were captured and many were killed. The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council denied those reports, however.

Council spokesman Volodymyr Poliovy said on Saturday that the shelling of checkpoint No.32 and clashes near it were continuing. He added that the checkpoint had received reinforcement and engineering support.