Pro-Russian rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said over a thousand fighters underwent four months of battle training in Russia have joined the separatist movement for a massive counteroffensive against Ukrainian forces.

Zakharchenko, 37, a self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, said its another 1,200 members who trained in Russia for four months joined the rebels.

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The forces, fighting for independence from Ukraine to join Moscow, will become more powerful with the arrival of some 150 armored vehicles, 30 of them were tanks, Zakharchenko added.

In a video released on Satuday, Zakharchenko said the additional forces and military vehicles will be used for a counter-offensive against the Ukrainian forces, which made some advancement in rebel-held areas in Ukraine.

You can watch the short clip from the UK's The Telegraph here:

However, he did not disclose where the vehicles came from, though there are wide speculations of Russian support to the separatists.

Ukrainian government has yet to issue a statement regarding the new enforcement of rebel forces but appealed on international government, including the powerful NATO, to provide military support to its troops.

Ukraine earlier said it partially destroyed armored column from Russia that crossed Ukrainian border, which Moscow denied.

United States and European Union had already imposed wide economic sanctions against Russia over its alleged lack of willingness to ease the tensions, but Moscow remains unfazed, hitting back sanctions against the world powers.

Moscow had been blamed for supporting the rebels to stage wide protests and armed attacks against the government in a bid to declare independence and be part its former Soviet master.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has agreed with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to find a way to stop the delivery of weapons and vehicles to the separatists and instead forge an elusive ceasefire.

The latest supply of rebel forces and armored vehicles came "at the most crucial moment," separatist leader Zakharchenko said, and is expected to boost the separatist forces to carry out its counter-offensive measures against the government forces.

TagsUkraine, Russia, Ukrainian separatists, Chinatopix, Alexander Zakharchenko, Zakharchenko