Servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine have detained in the area of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in Donbas eight individuals suspected of cooperating with the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).

"The citizens were detained by a group of servicemen of the National Guard at mobile and stationary checkpoints near the city of Mariupol and the village of Blahodatne in Donetsk region. The reason for the detention was information from the database of the National Police, according to which these persons are suspected of collaborating with illegal armed formations of the so-called DPR," reads a report posted on the Facebook page of the JFO HQ on Saturday.

The detainees were handed over to employees of the National Police on suspicion of committing a crime envisaged by Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (the creation of paramilitary or armed groups not provided by law).