Ukrainians continue counterattacks on Donetsk airport subject logo: DONBASWAR
2015-01-21
Posted by: badanov

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By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

Ukrainian military forces continue attacks trying to restore their positions at the Donetsk airport as rebel forces continue clearing one key position and began an assault on another, according to Russian language news accounts.

According to several published sources, rebel units continue clearing the village of Peski, which had been used by Ukrainian forces to marshal forces and supply their units at the Donetsk airport, a position they gave up last week after holding it since the start of hostilities last May.

As previously reported, Ukrainian regular troops were ordered to withdraw from Peski as the rebel forces approached, leaving only volunteer units, reportedly staffed with members of the Right Sector political party, and Battalion OUN, also staffed with politically motivated volunteers.

Fighting has been heavy, and according to rebel sources, bloody for the Ukrainians. Taking data supplied by a Facebook message, rebels report a total of 22 dead and another 80 wounded for the Ukrainian side.

According to the pro rebel Voices of Sevastopol, Ukrainian troops continue to cling to the westernmost outskirts of Peski, this after being overrun by rebel forces in the morning. A quick local counterattack using 15 armored vehicles took that sector of the village back from the rebels. By Monday night, the situation had stabilized with rebel forces holding most of the village, both sides continuing to shell the other with tube and rocket artillery.

According to rebel news sources, the Ukrainian Army continued with several counterattacks in an attempt to regain the airport, focusing on the old terminal which the rebels have held since last October, when their own campaign to clear the airport began.

One such attack consisted of eight Ukrainian riflemen and two tanks which were sent to the airport, but captured by rebel forces. According to data supplied by videos, the group, headed by an unidentified Ukrainian colonel, had been told to go to the airport to evacuate Ukrainian wounded, and had not been told the airport was now in rebel hands. The detail was told a truck would be sent later to aid in the evacuation but by the time the Ukrainians realized the airport was in rebel hands, the group was forced to surrender.

"I wish I had refused to go to the front and stayed," admitted an unidentified Ukrainian soldier.

Ukrainian news sources reported 11 Ukrainian soldiers captured on Monday. They also say the Ukrainian forces continue to hold at the airport.

According to a news account on korrespondent.net, a total of 20 Ukrainian special forces operators have died at the airport. Those soldiers were affectionately known as "Cyborgs" by both sides, owing to their fighting ability against previous rebel attempts to eject them from the new terminal at the airport. According to the report a total of 112 wounded were taken to hospitals in Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa, all of them wounded from the fighting at the airport

Ukrainian military journalist Dmitri Tymchuk said that rebel artillery was firing on Ukrainian positions at Peski and Avdievka to prevent the arrival of Ukrainian reinforcements.

Tymchuk also reported that new rebel artillery units were deploying inside Donetsk city itself in the Petrovsky district, and that rebel forces were being marshaled for a counterattack, though the target of the counterattack was not indicated.

The rebel assault on Avdievka began in earnest Monday morning with rebel troops supported by tanks entering the village, according to rebel news reports. The rebel report indicated that fighting continued into Monday night as artillery strikes hit both side's positions. The report said a tank battle took place in or near the village.

Chris Covert writes about foreign military issues for Rantburg.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com. You can read past articles about the 2014 war in southeastern Ukraina by clicking here.
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