Ukrainian military units are leaving Debaltseve, Semen Semenchenko, commander of the Ukrainian battalion Donbas and Ukrainian parliamentarian, said.

"The troops are being withdrawn from Debaltseve according to plan and in an organized way," he said on Facebook on Wednesday morning.

Semenchenko denied the reports stating that the populated area of Lohvynove near Debaltseve is held by the Ukrainian military and that they maintain control over the strategic road connecting Debaltseve and Artemivsk.

"All the stories about control over Lohvynove turned out to be tall tales: no miracle has happened. We do not control the Debaltseve-Artemivsk road or Lohvynove. The other roads are held by the national guard, Donbas [battalion] and Ukrainian army units. The enemy is trying to cut these roads off and prevent the military from leaving the area," Semenchenko said.

"Our artillery has begun working. They are preventing the enemy from hitting, they are pressing their firing points," Semenchenko said.

Semenchenko said that "howitzers, Grad and Uragan systems, mortars, and tanks are working" to cover the Ukrainian troops who are leaving Debaltseve. "Generally, it's hot there," he said.