You're reading: Militants claim control over air-defense regiment in Donetsk

Donetsk -- A military base in Donetsk came under the command of the militants in the self-declared 'Donetsk People's Republic' on Sunday, June 29.

“The militia has assumed control over military unit No.A-1402 in Donetsk today,” the Donetsk People’s Republic’s press service told Interfax.

No further details were provided.

The military unit No.A-1402 is a surface-to-air missile regiment, equipped with Buk self-propelled missile systems.

The militants established control over the military unit No.3004 on June 26.

The online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda later reported, citing military operation spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkovsky that part of a Ukrainian air defense unit was placed under the militants’ control in Donetsk.

“The air defense unit was shelled on Sunday morning, June 29 in a carefully planned attack,” Dmytrashkovsky was quoted as saying.

“As a result of a brief fight, the assailants managed to take several servicemen prisoner and to establish control over a part of the military unit’s territory. The other servicemen organized the defense of the arsenal,” he said.

The militants also seized two trucks, he said.

Dmytrashkovsky confirmed that that the military unit A-1402 has a Buk surface-to-air missile system. “But it is not operational. Operational Buk systems are at other strategic facilities,” he said.

Asked whether the seized Buk system could be placed in operational readiness, he said, “I don’t think they need to do this.”