Ukrainian troops have recaptured almost all the territory of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine lost to separatists in recent weeks, and thousands gathered in Kiev for a state-sponsored peace march.
Sunday’s offensive brought fighting close to the industrial city of Donetsk‚ centre of a pro-Russian rebellion‚ while shelling intensified in other parts of the region known as Donbass.
With peace talks still stalled‚ pro-Russian rebels have stepped up attacks in the past week and casualties have mounted‚ including 13 civilians killed in an attack on a passenger bus‚ which Kiev blamed on the separatists.
Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the army’s operation had returned battle lines near the airport to the previous status quo and thus not violated the 12-point peace plan agreed with Russia and separatist leaders last September in Minsk.
Another military spokesman said the firing was continuing early on Monday. “There is firing going on in the airport area and also at various parts of the line of separation. The situation has not particularly improved.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was concerned by what he called an escalation by Ukrainian forces that did not contribute to peace efforts.
He later said Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko had rejected a peace plan contained in a letter Russian president Vladimir Putin sent him on Thursday.
“Russia has consistently undertaken efforts as an intermediary in the conflict‚” Peskov said, adding Putin’s letter included a concrete plan for both sides to withdraw heavy artillery. Russian television channel NTV published the letter on Sunday evening. In it‚ Putin proposed “urgent measures for the cessation of mutual shelling‚ and also the rapid withdrawal by the sides in the conflict of means of destruction with a calibre higher than 100mm”.
In an overnight statement‚ the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on Russia to sign with Ukraine a timetable for implementing the Minsk agreement‚ which included establishing Ukrainian control over the joint border‚ and withdrawal of foreign forces and heavy military equipment.
“We are convinced that this will allow us quickly to cease fire and protect the civilian population‚” it said. “Ukraine steadfastly supports all the points of the Minsk agreement and demands that Russia does also.”
Rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko blamed the shelling around Donetsk on the Ukrainian army. “We’re talking about Kiev trying to unleash war again‚” he said.
The Minsk ceasefire has been regularly violated by both sides‚ and fighting has flared up again since plans for peace talks were abandoned last week. In Donetsk‚ a coal and steel city with a prewar population of almost onemillion‚ residents reported a sharp upturn in fighting.
WHO says more than 4800 people have been killed in the conflict.
With its runways cratered‚ Donetsk airport has long since ceased to function. But its control tower and ruined outbuildings have taken on symbolic value‚ with soldiers and separatists hunting each other‚ often at close range‚ in a deadly cat-and-mouse game among the ruins. — Reuters
Ukraine troops retake Denetsk airport
Sunday’s offensive brought fighting close to the industrial city of Donetsk‚ centre of a pro-Russian rebellion‚ while shelling intensified in other parts of the region known as Donbass.
With peace talks still stalled‚ pro-Russian rebels have stepped up attacks in the past week and casualties have mounted‚ including 13 civilians killed in an attack on a passenger bus‚ which Kiev blamed on the separatists.
Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said the army’s operation had returned battle lines near the airport to the previous status quo and thus not violated the 12-point peace plan agreed with Russia and separatist leaders last September in Minsk.
Another military spokesman said the firing was continuing early on Monday. “There is firing going on in the airport area and also at various parts of the line of separation. The situation has not particularly improved.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was concerned by what he called an escalation by Ukrainian forces that did not contribute to peace efforts.
He later said Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko had rejected a peace plan contained in a letter Russian president Vladimir Putin sent him on Thursday.
“Russia has consistently undertaken efforts as an intermediary in the conflict‚” Peskov said, adding Putin’s letter included a concrete plan for both sides to withdraw heavy artillery. Russian television channel NTV published the letter on Sunday evening. In it‚ Putin proposed “urgent measures for the cessation of mutual shelling‚ and also the rapid withdrawal by the sides in the conflict of means of destruction with a calibre higher than 100mm”.
In an overnight statement‚ the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on Russia to sign with Ukraine a timetable for implementing the Minsk agreement‚ which included establishing Ukrainian control over the joint border‚ and withdrawal of foreign forces and heavy military equipment.
“We are convinced that this will allow us quickly to cease fire and protect the civilian population‚” it said. “Ukraine steadfastly supports all the points of the Minsk agreement and demands that Russia does also.”
Rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko blamed the shelling around Donetsk on the Ukrainian army. “We’re talking about Kiev trying to unleash war again‚” he said.
The Minsk ceasefire has been regularly violated by both sides‚ and fighting has flared up again since plans for peace talks were abandoned last week. In Donetsk‚ a coal and steel city with a prewar population of almost onemillion‚ residents reported a sharp upturn in fighting.
WHO says more than 4800 people have been killed in the conflict.
With its runways cratered‚ Donetsk airport has long since ceased to function. But its control tower and ruined outbuildings have taken on symbolic value‚ with soldiers and separatists hunting each other‚ often at close range‚ in a deadly cat-and-mouse game among the ruins. — Reuters
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