KIEV, May 15 -- The leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic had set a deadline for Kiev to remove its troops from the eastern region, local media reported Thursday.

"Yesterday, at 9:00 p.m.(GMT 1800), our military issued an ultimatum for Ukraine to withdraw its troops from Donbas region within 24 hours," Miroslav Rudenko, the leader of Donetsk "self-defense forces", was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

Rudenko said the military of the separatist Donetsk Republic would "use force" against Ukrainian servicemen, if Kiev did not pull its troops out by 9:00 p.m. local time (GMT 1800) Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian armed forces destroyed two military bases set up by insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces have been carrying out a military operation since mid-April to retake eastern region cities seized by the activists, who demand independence for their regions.