Fighting in Donetsk left at least 40 dead

The fighting between the armed forces and the pro-Russian Ukrainian militiamen around Donetsk International Airport, which began in the early hours of Monday and have continued for more than 24 hours, have claimed at least 40 people, most of them rebels confirmed the mayor, Alexander Lukyanchenko. Sources of the self-proclaimed Republic of Donetsk however reduced to 30 the death toll in their ranks, while the Ukrainian Army spokesman Alexei Dmitrashkovsky, estimates that ” more than 150 terrorists” have been killed in clashes, information that has not been proven.

Meanwhile, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today reported Tuesday that its special mission in Ukraine lost contact yesterday afternoon with one of his team – consisting of four experts – parked near Donetsk. “The team was on routine patrol east of Donetsk when contact was lost. Could not re-establish communication until now,” the OSCE said in a statement.

The confusion about the number of victims that have left more than 36 hours of fighting remains total. The regional health department, responsible for managing hospitals, has found income 35 wounded in the fighting, while Oleg Dimitrov, an MP of the Republic of Donetsk, told this newspaper that ” there are still many dead and wounded have not been evacuated ” the airport grounds. The Ukrainian Army claims to have under its control the airport from ten o’clock local time.

In any case, from Donetsk International Airport is not only the most deadly battle between the two sides in nearly a month military offensive against the rebels, but also the most spectacular and significant as hit the heart of the same city of one million inhabitants and capital of the rebel Republic.

On Monday, just hours after the victory of Petro Poroshenko in elections that the separatist authorities branded illegal, the start of the fighting at the gates of the city, the airport is just 10 kilometers from the urban center – left the feeling that nothing and nobody is safe and conflict since May 2 has claimed nearly 200 lives, military and civilian. Traffic idling in the streets, shaken by the thunderous flyover of fighter, testified to the fear of what many consider the prologue to the final rebel assault.

After an informal truce fighting on election day, the first attempt of the separatists gain international airport of Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev occurred at three in the morning on Monday, when a group of armed men burst into the room guarded by Ukrainian military. At 10:00 o’clock, and on three outdoor box trucks, dozens of rebels in fatigues and assault rifles, members of Battalion Vostok (East), the best – equipped insurgents, took the enclosure.

At one o’clock began the assault the army, which deployed three two Sukhoi Su- 25 and MiG -29, and three helicopter gunships and an undetermined number of paratroopers. Vladimir Selivnoz, spokesman for the operation, which involved the Army, National Guard and special forces of the Interior Ministry, confirmed the destruction of a rebel anti-aircraft platform in the bombings.

After more than two hours of exchange of fire and some explosions that left a heavy trail of black smoke, the National Guard was able to expel the rebels to a nearby shopping center, a vital hub bypasses and an adjoining residential area ambush between greenery from which many civilians fled to the race. The fighting reached the parking lot of the new railway station, where the fatality occurred.

Donetsk International Airport, whose modern terminal was built expressly for the 2012 European football, languishing since the beginning of the conflict by reducing the number of passengers; are few international flights landing in it half empty. On Monday remained closed for the offensive. “There are armed inside the enclosure men,” said his spokesman, Dmytro Kosinov, referring to the rebels; “More reason to order the closure of the same and the cancellation of all flights.”

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Posted by Khalil Khan on May 28 2014. Filed under Europe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.