Fighting continues over Ukraine airport

Moscow, Oct 3 (IANS/EFE) Fighting between pro-Russian militias and Ukrainian government forces for control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk continued Friday, despite the truce signed by both sides a month ago, sources said.

A spokesman for the rebels told the Russian news agency Interfax that the clashes were still going on and some of the airport's facilities were under their control, while the Ukrainian forces reiterated that the entire airport was still in their hands.

Dimitri Timchuk, the coordinator of the pro-Ukrainian Information Resistance blog, said that the Ukrainian positions at the airport were attacked twice Thursday.

Timchuk, who is close to the Kiev government, added that both attacks were repelled and that the separatists retreated after suffering casualties.

The pro-Russian separatists justified their assault on the airport by accusing the government forces of launching raids on the city, while Kiev said that the separatists were attacking the airport in order to seize the strategic site.

The airport has been one of the main sources of tension between Kiev and the separatists since the ceasefire was signed Sep 5.

Heavy shelling took place Thursday in Donetsk, killing the deputy head of the Red Cross mission in the city.

Meanwhile, a German government source said the European Union could order new sanctions on Russia if the separatists took the airports of Donetsk or Mariupol, the second largest city in the Donetsk region and still under Ukrainian control.

--IANS/EFE

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