Self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic claims all airport terminals under control
MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - The militias of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) report taking all terminals of the Donetsk airport under their control.
"All the terminals are under our control, and a DPR flag has been raised over one of them, although mopping up is still continuing," a member of the DPR Defense Ministry headquarters told Interfax.
He acknowledged, however, that it is too early to talk about full control of the entire airport territory.
"There is a lot to fight for there. Preliminary findings indicate that enemy forces could be in underground installations there," he said.
The militias have not yet taken control of the community of Avdiyivka adjacent to the airport, he said.
"We haven't entered Avdiyivka yet, but Avdiyivka's vegetable gardens adjoin the runway. The enemy can send free forces there," he said.
Meanwhile, the Kyiv-based press center of the military operation in eastern Ukraine says that the government forces regained control of the first storey of the airport's old terminal.
"Militants used smoke grenades against Ukrainian military servicemen in storming the old terminal and seized the first storey. A counterattack by our forces threw the terrorists back to their initial positions," the press center reported on its Facebook account.
Ukrainian servicemen continue to defend the airport, the report says. "Part of the old terminal has been engulfed in fire," it said.