On the night of May 26, 2014, a group of Russian militants attempted to seize Donetsk Airport, where air traffic had been suspended as early as May 6. On their second attempt, the militants occupied part of the building. They issued an ultimatum to the Ukrainian security forces stationed in the old terminal, demanding that they lay down their arms and surrender.
The Ukrainian government, for its part, also issued an ultimatum to the terrorists to vacate the seized buildings. Neither side was willing to make concessions—fighting broke out.
The enemy “Vostok” battalion, reinforced by servicemen of the Russian Federation’s armed forces and veterans of the Chechen campaigns, was opposed by a combined detachment of Ukrainian troops. A group from the 10th Detachment of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense played a pivotal role in the early hours of the fighting, being the first to enter the new terminal of Donetsk Airport and drive the enemy out.
Thanks to skillful command, Ukrainian forces did not suffer a single fatality; three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded, while the enemy sustained significant losses.
After the battle on May 26, the situation around the airport remained relatively calm. Serious assaults on this strategic facility began after the signing of the Minsk Agreements in September 2014.
Active fighting for Donetsk Airport lasted from September 2014 to January 22, 2015, and became one of the fiercest in modern history.
The fighting was particularly fierce after the start of 2015. On January 13, after several months of shelling, the control tower where the Ukrainian flag flew was destroyed. On January 21–22, Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers fought their way out of the terminal area, as their positions had been destroyed and they were under direct fire.
At various times, soldiers from the 95th and 79th Airborne Brigades, soldiers from the 3rd Kirovohrad Special Forces Regiment and the “Dnipro-1” Battalion, artillerymen and tank crews from the 93rd Brigade, volunteers from the “Right Sector” Volunteer Corps and the “OUN” Battalion, and soldiers from other units.
Donetsk Airport became a symbol of the indomitable spirit and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian army, and Ukraine and the whole world learned about people whose will and courage are stronger than concrete. About the cyborgs.