Ukraine Army Retakes Control of Rebel-Held Airfield in East
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Ukrainian troops seized an airfield in the city of Kramatorsk as part of a security operation against anti-government activists in the eastern part of the country. Activists claimed several people were wounded.
Coup-imposed President Aleksandr Turchinov said that he received a telephone call confirming that the military has seized the airfield in Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian troops approached the military airfield in armored personnel carriers between the eastern cities of Kramatorsk and Slavyansk earlier on Tuesday, the people’s militia located at the airfield told RIA Novosti over the phone.
“They started negotiating with the people’s militia, which is in control of the airfield. The shooting started unexpectedly. There are injured among the people’s militia, and there may be deaths,” they said.
The activists who controlled the base said they were forced to retreat. However, the city is still under the control of the people’s militia, as they have blocked the entrance to Kramatorsk and are ready to defend the city, the activists added.
“We were forced out of the airfield, but the city itself is under our control, we won’t allow [the Ukrainian troops] to enter,” one of the activists told Interfax.
“There are about 60 units of armored vehicles. They have been preparing for several days, and now they started to storm [the airfield]. The protesters blocked their way, they started shooting, there are wounded. Our people retreated. There are about 15 tanks, the other units are armored personnel vehicles,” another member of the people’s militia told RIA Novosti.
However, the aid to the head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Interior Stanislav Rechinsky said there were no casualties. He did not specify the number of captives, saying that “this information will come in the upcoming days”
He added that special forces of the Interior Ministry Omega and of SBU Alfa took part in the operation.
Planes and helicopters were mobilized during the raid to “defend the machinery, as it was not known how the [security operation] would end,” according to the Ukrainian army.
Videos of military jets and helicopters flying over Kramatorsk as the attack was launched appeared on YouTube.