Ukraine trying to regain control of Donetsk Airport from pro-Russian rebels

#donetskairport #prorussianrebels #ukraine Reports indicate that the Ukrainian government troops are still trying to regain control of Donetsk airport from the pro-Russian rebels. The rebel military command has claimed that its forces had halted a government offensive at a key bridge between the airport and the city. It was the Putylivskiy Bridge which was, ultimately, destroyed in the fighting.
It seems the Donetsk Airport in eastern Ukraine is in ruins after months of intense clashes and both the Kiev government and Russia have been hurling accusations at each other of ignoring appeals for a ceasefire.
Latest information appears to be that Ukraine military spokesman Andriy Lysenko has indicated that they have succeeded in almost completely cleansing the territory of the airport. This would mean that the recent rebel gains there had been reversed. However, there is no independent verification available about the claims.
In fact, rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko has refuted the claims of Ukraine government and remarked that ‘… attempts by (the) Ukrainian army to take the airport and get revenge for the defeat of last year... have failed.’
Deaths due to the violence has been put at eight plus another 33 wounded - this has been confirmed by a senior rebel officer in Donetsk. Here again there is confusion because Ukrainian defense officials have said that three soldiers had been killed and 66 wounded in the past 24 hours. Against this, the rebels had earlier claimed that as many as 200 Ukrainian troops were killed or wounded and dozens of Ukrainian armored vehicles destroyed.
Ukrainian military has accused Russia of boosting the rebel firepower and encouraging violence. So far, nearly 4,800 people have been killed subsequently to the rebels taking control of a large areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine last April.