The Ukrainian military had to leave Debaltseve after they found themselves encircled, Oleksandr Kikhtenko, the head of the Donetsk region's state administration, said.

"The military were practically encircled," Kikhtenko was quoted as saying in a report posted on the official website of the region's administration on Thursday.

The fighting cannot be continued due to the absence of hardware and ammunition, he said.

Kikhtenko said the military who have been led from Debaltseve are now in Artemivsk.