Ukrainian troops on Jan. 15 fought off an attack from militants on the new terminal at Donetsk airport but battles at the airport continued, said the press center for the government's anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine.
“Donetsk airport remains the epicenter of confrontation. Battles there have been going on throughout the day,” the center said in a statement.
The attack on the terminal began on Thursday morning, with rifles, grenade launchers, tanks and rockets being used. In the afternoon militants forces began to storm the facility, the statement said.
“The Ukrainian troops beat the attack,” it said. “At this moment, battles for the airport are continuing.”
The statement said that militants had also fired at Ukrainian positions in the vicinity of the villages of Krymske, Sokolnyky and Triokhizbenka of Novoaidar district, Luhansk region, and at a heat and power plant in the town of Schastia, and that they had used Grad multiple rocket launchers in the attacks.
Meanwhile, spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vladyslav Selezniov said that two Ukrainian soldiers were killed during the battle for Donetsk airport on Thursday.
“Sadly, two have been killed,” he told Interfax.
The situation at the airport remains tense, with Ukrainian army forces fighting off attacks, he said. “The situation has been complicated the whole day, fierce fighting for the airport is underway,” the spokesman said.
“Surrender is out of the question,” he added.
The Ukrainian soldiers get all the material and technical support they need, he added.
