The strategically important airport near Donetsk has been the scene of new fights between the government forces and the allegedly pro-Russian rebels, testing the cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine. Local reports speak of several Ukrainian soldiers falling in the attack. This was the most serious attack since the cease-fire was announced on September 5th, according to Ukrainian government officials. The heavy shelling of the government forces has claimed nine lives, including seven soldiers whose troop transport was hit by a tank shell.
According to the cease-fire agreement between the conflicting forces, the Donetsk airport – in a key position between the major cities held by the rebel forces – should be under the control of the Ukrainian government. Still, the rebels keep trying to occupy it, given its importance. The Donetsk airport is an important asset for both the rebels and the government forces in Ukraine. It can serve as an important supply line for either of them – this is probably the reason why both parties try to keep it under their control.
Despite Ukrainian president Petro O. Poroshenko considers the cease-fire announced at the beginning of September the key element of his peace plan for the country, the attacks still continue in several cities of the country. The rise of violence could threaten the meeting of Ukrainian, Russian and rebel military forces about creating a buffer zone of 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) as a neutral area between them. Ukrainian army spokesman Andriy Lysenko has denied the rumors about the local ground forces to plan to abandon the airport. He states that the airport was, and will remain under the control of the Ukrainian Army. Still, he recognized that the decision belongs to his superiors, the high military command that decides where the army moves.
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A Russian army delegation, led by Aleksandr Lentsov, deputy commander of the Russian ground forces, is in Ukraine since last week, meeting with both parties and mediating the conflict between the government forces and the rebels.