Pro-Russians launch new attacks to seize Donetsk airport

NOVANEWS

Pro-Russians launch new attacks to seize Donetsk airport

The Republic fighters lost many in their earlier attempt to retake the airport

The Republic fighters lost many in their earlier attempt to retake the airport

[ Editors Note:  It was quite a nasty move for Kiev to have its Donetsk airport position used as an artillery base to shell a school zeroed in for its opening day.

Most of those killed were parents who had taken their kids to school. There was nothing sneaky about the attack, and “in your face” style one.

This of course means that Kiev is not worried about any condemnation from the US and the EU now that the new equipment that has come in from the donating nations has arrived. One can assume that the countries who sent it expect it to be used.

Part of the ceasefire included having all “volunteers leave”. How this was to be confirmed is anyone’s guess. Once they have gone it is harder for the Republics to get them back quickly, so they would be out of the way for a quick Kiev attack. The monitors will be on the spot here, to see what happens as a result of their reports. So far we have not heard a peep about anyone shelling being apprehended for a ceasefire violation.

What the monitors really need of course is an armed drone capacity of course, so they can fire on and take out any ceasefire violators, with video cam recording of the strike and all of those niceties.  Of course they would never allow the monitors to have that capacity, despite its making perfect sense, and something that actually encourages violations.

Anyone want to bet that the White house denounces the Republics’ move to secure the airport from further shelling of civilians, but not the shelling itself? … Jim W. Dean ]

Pro-Russia forces operating in eastern Ukraine have reportedly stepped up their military operations to take control of a government-held airport in the volatile city of Donetsk.

The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that pro-Russia forces launched fresh attacks in the areas near the airport situated northwest of Donetsk, using tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems and mortars.

Vladyslav Seleznyov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military, said Kiev’s troops repelled four attacks on the airport on Wednesday evening.

In recent weeks, pro-Russians have made numerous attempts to capture the strategic airport, which has been used by Kiev’s troops to shell their positions inside the restive city.

On Wednesday, at least 10 people were killed and several others wounded in the shelling of a school and nearby areas in Donetsk’s northern part.

The fresh wave of fighting in the eastern Ukrainian city comes despite a Russian-proposed truce agreement signed between pro-Russians and Kiev on September 5. Both sides have traded accusations of violating the peace deal.

Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions in the east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Moscow activists and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to silence pro-Russians in mid-April.

Violence intensified in May after Donetsk and Lugansk regions held local referendums, in which their residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence from Ukraine. The United Nations says over 3,500 people have been killed during the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

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