*UPDATE 1:45PM* Fighting in Donetsk resumed after a storm cleared the area. AFP reporter Paul Gypteau found a beheaded woman in front of the train station.
Body of a beheaded old woman in front of #Donetsk railway station. Unclear what happened. pic.twitter.com/Nr1561uwFP
— Paul Gypteau (@paulgypteau) May 26, 2014
Donetsk Mayor Oleksandr Lukyanchenko told residents not to leave their homes.
According to Hromadske TV, 40 Russian trucks were found near Russia’s border and appeared to be ready to cross the border into Donetsk.
40 #russian trucks with armed men were seen at the border with #Ukraine @HromadskeTV http://t.co/XsNysJNitm pic.twitter.com/eGWZ7fkX0a ‘ EMPR
— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) May 26, 2014
*UPDATE 11:41AM* One civilian was killed by a stray bullet at the airport. The male parking lot attendant was not identified. Shops and restaurants in Donetsk are closed and the pro-Russians took over the train station. The Kyiv Post posted this video:
Businessman Petro Poroshenko is Ukraine’s new president, but that did not stop the pro-Russian forces in the east. The rebels took over the Donetsk airport’s international terminal and forced flight cancellations.
“At 3:00 in the morning, a group of armed men came. There was no shooting and they demanded that soldiers guarding the perimeter of the airport be withdrawn,” said airport spokesman Dmytro Kosinov.
The airport stopped all flights at 7AM and is now controlled by the “Donetsk People’s Republic,” which was formed after a May 11 referendum. The DPR claimed 90% of the residents in Donetsk voted for independence from Kyiv, but the referendum was beleaguered with numerous voting violations.
An AFP reporter saw three trucks full of armed men in camouflage and some wearing orange-and-black St George ribbons representing an allegiance to Russia pass a police checkpoint and head toward the airport.
They were followed by two sports utility vehicles with tinted windows.
Here are a few pictures journalists and citizens tweeted of the airport:
Smoke, crackle of gunfire, RPGs over airport in Donetsk pic.twitter.com/7XhAv6q0DG
— Piotr Zalewski (@p_zalewski) May 26, 2014
Sounds of heavy gunfire and explosions coming from Metro store in #Donetsk airport pic.twitter.com/XO9zgxVOgB
— Petr Shelomovskiy (@shelomovskiy) May 26, 2014
Donetsk Airport on fire pic.twitter.com/UZRZQs4syP
— idaltae (@idaltae) May 26, 2014
Helicopter shelling #Donetsk airport. pic.twitter.com/gJyWqzMR6Y @beyondwallru ‘ EMPR #Ukraine
— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) May 26, 2014
Smoke near Donetsk International Airport as scattered shooting continues pic.twitter.com/Vi4TF9tNDt
— Fredrick Kunkle WaPo (@KunkleFredrick) May 26, 2014
https://t.co/KU0IKlpZlI #Donetsk: #Ukrainian fighter jet goes after #Russian terrorists @ airport #Ukraine #Russia pic.twitter.com/9eClxCHOTo
— Ukrainian Updates (@Ukroblogger) May 26, 2014
Not sure of source, but photo apparently shows separatist rebels atop #Donetsk airport terminal. pic.twitter.com/sisKMm9Rc5
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 26, 2014
Two journalists, Roland Oliphant with The Telegraph and Christopher Miller with The Kyiv Post, are live tweeting about the airport from Donetsk.
There’s a fighter circling over Donetsk. Taxi radio says something’s burning at the airport
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 26, 2014
It is burning. Lots of smoke rising.
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 26, 2014
Apparently it’s the hangers (taxi cb radio, I can’t get much closer).
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 26, 2014
Intense gunfire in bursts every few minutes
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 26, 2014
And the occasional thud that sounds like a mortar or smth. Guessing Ukrainian garrison is surrounded. Rebel gunmen on neighbouring streets
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 26, 2014
Really difficult to tell who is on the offensive here. Oh there goes a few big bangs.
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 26, 2014
Right now at #Donetsk airport, string of gunshots fired and ricocheted near us on Stratonativ Street. Everyone scatters, takes cover.
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 26, 2014
Appears #Ukraine forces maneuvered around rebels, forcing to fall back. Gunfight spilling into streets S of airport, N of train station.
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 26, 2014
Ukraine held a historic presidential election on Sunday, but the people in Donetsk and the majority of the east were not allowed to vote due to intimidation by the pro-Russian forces. The city of Donetsk is Ukraine’s second largest city and no polling stations were open. “Chocolate King” Poroshenko won with over 50% of the vote and he told the pro-Russians to put down their weapons to engage in dialogue with Kyiv.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.