Ukrainian forces 'firmly holding' positions, says Poroshenko

Описание

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his troops are holding the line against separatists and Russian forces, amid a surge in violence. His words come despite Donetsk airport being reduced to a burnt out shell and Ukrainian forces withdrawing from the main terminal. “If we, Ukrainian units, had held Donetsk airport, pro-Russian fighters would have had to agree with our position and demilitarise a significant part of the city, therefore removing the danger from densely populated areas,” said Kostyantyn Mashkovec, a military expert. Sixteen Ukrainian soldiers are said to have been taken hostage at the airport. Some were paraded in front of furious residents at the scene of a bus attack in Donetsk. At least eight people died in the shelling, which Ukraine blamed on separatists. Russia said the attack was a “crude provocation” by Kiev to undermine peace efforts. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 4,700 people since April, according to United Nations