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Ukraine unrest: Dozens die as Donetsk airport retaken | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Ukraine's interior ministry says the military is now in full control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk after a day of bloody clashes. | Ukraine's interior ministry says the military is now in full control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk after a day of bloody clashes. |
More than 30 pro-Russia separatists were reported killed after an attempt to seize the airport early on Monday. | |
New President Petro Poroshenko vowed to tackle the eastern uprising within hours not months. Russia has called for an immediate end to military action. | New President Petro Poroshenko vowed to tackle the eastern uprising within hours not months. Russia has called for an immediate end to military action. |
Meanwhile, the OSCE says it has lost contact with a monitoring team. | Meanwhile, the OSCE says it has lost contact with a monitoring team. |
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said four of its monitors were on a routine mission east of Donetsk when they were stopped at a checkpoint on Monday. They have not been heard from since 18:00 (16:00 GMT) that day. | |
A spokesman told the BBC the monitors, all male, were Turkish, Swiss, Estonian and Danish. Danish trade minister Mogens Jensen said it was believed they were being held by armed separatists. | |
In April, seven international military observers linked to the OSCE were held captive in eastern Ukraine for a week. | |
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a statement on Tuesday: "The airport is under our full control. The enemy suffered heavy losses. We have none." | Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a statement on Tuesday: "The airport is under our full control. The enemy suffered heavy losses. We have none." |
He said operations were still continuing. Sporadic gun and artillery fire could be heard into the afternoon. | |
At the scene: Mark Lowen in Donetsk | At the scene: Mark Lowen in Donetsk |
The Kiev government was absolutely determined that the airport would not fall to the insurgents. | The Kiev government was absolutely determined that the airport would not fall to the insurgents. |
Back in February when pro-Russia separatists launched their incursion in Crimea - which led to Moscow's annexation of the peninsula a month later - the airport was the first key installation they took control of, so Kiev was committed to clamping down on that. | Back in February when pro-Russia separatists launched their incursion in Crimea - which led to Moscow's annexation of the peninsula a month later - the airport was the first key installation they took control of, so Kiev was committed to clamping down on that. |
Ukraine's new president gave a speech on Monday saying he would not negotiate with "terrorists" as he put it - and clearly you see the impact of that around Donetsk airport. | Ukraine's new president gave a speech on Monday saying he would not negotiate with "terrorists" as he put it - and clearly you see the impact of that around Donetsk airport. |
A local coroner told the BBC he had seen 37 bodies, among them two civilians. | |
Photographs from inside Donetsk morgue showed more than a dozen bodies in military fatigues piled in a small room. | Photographs from inside Donetsk morgue showed more than a dozen bodies in military fatigues piled in a small room. |
A representative of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic separatists said at least 30 of their injured fighters had died when a truck which was taking them to hospital came under fire from government troops. | |
Other reports of the death toll vary: Donetsk mayor Alexander Lukyanchenko said 40 people had been killed in the past day, while other rebel leaders said the final toll could rise above 100. | |
President's vow | President's vow |
The clashes started early on Monday as separatists stormed the Sergei Prokofiev Donetsk airport. | |
The Ukrainian military responded quickly with air strikes and an assault by heavily armed troops. | The Ukrainian military responded quickly with air strikes and an assault by heavily armed troops. |
The attempt to seize the airport may have been intended to prevent Mr Poroshenko from travelling there after he said his first trip would be to visit the restive east. | The attempt to seize the airport may have been intended to prevent Mr Poroshenko from travelling there after he said his first trip would be to visit the restive east. |
Mr Poroshenko, a 48-year-old billionaire and former foreign minister, was on Monday formally declared the winner of Sunday's presidential election. | |
He vowed east Ukraine would not be "turned into Somalia", adding: "The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months. It should and will last hours." | He vowed east Ukraine would not be "turned into Somalia", adding: "The anti-terrorist operation cannot and should not last two or three months. It should and will last hours." |
However, he has also said he wants to talk to Russia to end the crisis. | However, he has also said he wants to talk to Russia to end the crisis. |
Moscow had said it would accept the election results and engage in dialogue with the winner. | Moscow had said it would accept the election results and engage in dialogue with the winner. |
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that a visit to Russia by Mr Poroshenko was "not being considered". | |
He again called on Mr Poroshenko to stop military operations in eastern Ukraine immediately and implement a roadmap for peace negotiated in Geneva on 17 April. | He again called on Mr Poroshenko to stop military operations in eastern Ukraine immediately and implement a roadmap for peace negotiated in Geneva on 17 April. |
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, he said a "real war" was under way in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. | Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, he said a "real war" was under way in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. |
The regions declared independence after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in the wake of the removal of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych. | The regions declared independence after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in the wake of the removal of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych. |
Are you in the area? Are you affected by this latest development? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Ukraine' in the heading, and including your contact details. | Are you in the area? Are you affected by this latest development? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Ukraine' in the heading, and including your contact details. |
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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