Donetsk People's Republic official confirms militia trying to take Mariupol
DONETSK, Ukraine. Jan 24 (Interfax) - A senior official at the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic on Saturday confirmed that the DPR militia had begun an operation to capture Mariupol.
"By this moment, the DPR army has begun an operation to liberate the city," Eduard Basurin, head of the political department of the ministry, told reporters.
He also said the Ukrainians were trying to wrench Donetsk airport back from the militia. "Ukrainian forces are trying to launch attacks from the north, west and east. There are battles in progress in the airport area," he said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian special forces regiment Azov said the eastern edges of Mariupol had again come under fire from Grad multiple rocket launchers. "Explosions are heard again on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol," Azov said on the VK social network.
Azov spokesman Andriy Dyachenko told Interfax that militia forces were increasing the intensity of shelling. "The last attack was literally 15 minutes ago. But we don't record any personnel movement," he said.
Dyachenko said the regiment was fortifying its positions. "Most likely, it won't be funny at our section of the front, or at the others either. I can't give you any details. But at our section of the front, we are absolutely ready to rebuff the forces that the enemy would throw in against us," he said.
