The large anti-terrorist operation Ukrainian interim President Oleksandr Turchynov promised on Sunday is now taking place in east Ukraine. Tanks were spotted in the east early Tuesday morning.
Ukrainian soldiers marched into Kramatorsk, a town close to Sloviansk, where pro-Russian forces captured the airport on Monday. The Associated Press reported heavy gunfire at the airport at 11:21AM ET. AP’s Moscow correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva said Russian media reported fights, injuries, and casualties at the airport, but journalists at the scene could not confirm anything.
Russian (state-owned) media are full of reports about fights,causualities in Kramatorsk, Slovyansk. Journos on the groud don’t see anything.
— Nataliya Vasilyeva (@NatVasilyevaAP) April 15, 2014
The AP reported the gunfire “appeared to have been warning shots into the air.” Journalists on the ground tweeted pictures of Ukrainian helicopters in the air and roads to the town.
First two helicopters are off towards Slavyansk, two others just landed here pic.twitter.com/Dl7c29LLxB
— Olaf Koens (@obk) April 15, 2014
First helicopter packed with special forces now taking off. My guess is to Kramatorsk pic.twitter.com/xWKGrO6stD
— Olaf Koens (@obk) April 15, 2014
Roadblock on the road on the way to Kramatorsk. Reports of fighting at the military airport there. pic.twitter.com/PJYO0ASkx0
— Duncan Crawford (@_DuncanC) April 15, 2014
20 minutes after AP’s tweet, Turchynov told parliament the Ukrainian army took the airport from the pro-Russian forces.
Espresso TV’s correspondent on the ground at Kramatorsk airfield in Donetsk Oblast reports that the elite Omega unit of the Interior Ministry has taken control of the airfield.
Citing the Defense Ministry, Interfax is reporting that Ukrainian armored personnel carriers stormed the airfield, which lies between the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Ukrainian troops fired on pro-Russian terrorists who had occupied the airfield.
The mayor of Kramatorsk also confirmed the airport was in the hands of the Ukrainian army.
Here are a few more pictures from Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Good news: #Kramatorsk airfield reclaimed by #Ukrainian forces http://t.co/jxEZahPI2E #Ukraine #RussianInvasion pic.twitter.com/MCaD0a4tz4
— Ukrainian Updates (@Ukroblogger) April 15, 2014
#Ukrainian Su-27 over #Kramatorsk today @mikekomar ‘PR Post #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/NnWzM4JKwz
— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) April 15, 2014
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