Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) attacked and destroyed the Ukrainian Marines' 36th brigade, DPR President Denis Pushilin said Wednesday.

"We announce the complete destruction of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Pushilin added, noting that this would now make it easier for Donetsk units to move through certain areas of Mariupol.

DPR police force spokesperson Eduard Basurin said six soldiers of the 36th Marines Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces "voluntarily laid down their arms."

Specialists from the DPR's forces "are examining the documents and secret communications left behind by the soldiers of the 36th Brigade," Basurin added. Additionally, the DPR's forces took over four tanks, two armored vehicles, and two Harris Command and Control systems.

The DPR forces destroyed Tuesday a company of the 53rd brigade and units of the 54th brigade. 

The DPR's operations come in light of Russia's special military operation it had launched for several reasons, including NATO's eastward expansion. Other reasons were the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass and killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow wanting to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine.

In response, the US and its allies have rolled out comprehensive sanctions, including restrictions on the Russian central bank, export control measures, SWIFT cutoff for select banks, and closure of airspace to all Russian flights. Many of their companies have suspended their Russian operations.