Donetsk: A fierce battle erupted on Monday for control of the main airport in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, just hours after future president Petro Poroshenko vowed he would not let the country become another Somalia.
Ukrainian fighter jets and combat helicopters struck at separatist gunmen who seized the airport in the main city of Donetsk, triggering heavy gunbattles.
It was the most forceful action by the Kiev government in its battle to crush a bloody pro-Moscow insurgency that has raged in the industrial east since early April, threatening to tear apart the former Soviet state.
Plumes of thick black smoke rose from the airport complex as the sound of explosions and heavy machinegun fire rang out.
Scores of gunmen had stormed the airport early on Monday in an apparent show of defiance against Mr Poroshenko.
The 48-year-old billionaire said Ukraine would press on with its offensive against the insurgents who now control about a dozen cities and towns, despite Moscow warning it would be a “colossal mistake”.
“There are no talks with terrorists,” said the centrist pro-Western tycoon.
“Their goal is to turn Donbass (east Ukraine) into Somalia. I will not let anyone do this to our state and I hope that Russia will support my approach.”
Military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashyvskiy said the army had launched an “anti-terror” operation after the expiry of an ultimatum for the insurgents to leave. The army then sent in the heavy firepower — Mi-8 helicopters filled with paratroopers, along with SU-25 fighter jets and MiG-29s — to “force the terrorists to meet our demands,” said another spokesman.
