KIEV, Ukraine 

Hundreds of miners, stranded underground in eastern Ukraine due to power cuts by clashes, have been evacuated, pro-Russian rebels said late Wednesday.

Self-proclaimed Donetsk's People's Republic military spokesman Eduard Basurin said the rescue teams evacuated more than 950 coal miners.

Earlier, the miners were stranded due to power cuts caused by the clashes between government troops and pro-Russian separatists.

Basurin earlier said a total of 576 miners were stranded at Zasyadko coal mine in the Kievsky district of Donetsk, claiming 375 workers were stranded at the Skochinsky pit.

Earlier, the separatists announced that 27 power suppliers were inoperable due to clashes.

At least 6,417 people have been killed since April last year after pro-Russian rebels seized parts of Luhansk and Donetsk.