“In the area of the settlements of Gorskoye and Zolote, the grouping of Ukrainian troops is completely blocked.
Four battalions are surrounded in the next, now mountainous cauldron,” the statement says.
The Ministry of Defense added that about 1.8 thousand Ukrainian servicemen, 120 militants of the nationalist Right Sector unit* and up to 80 foreign mercenaries are in the cauldron.
Earlier, LPR Ambassador to Russia Rodion Miroshnik said that part of the Ukrainian troops in Gorsky and Zolote are sending signals about their readiness to surrender.
He also said that the settlements were taken under blockade.
* "Right Sector" is a Ukrainian association of radical nationalist organizations, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 11/17/2014).