The Ukrainian military on Sunday said its forces had rebuffed an assault by Russian-backed rebels, and reclaimed almost all the territory of Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine that was lost in recent weeks, after Kiev rushed tanks to the battle lines in a "massive operation" overnight.
Ukrainian officials reported at least six people were killed, including four soldiers. They said roads were closed, a bridge was destroyed, houses were demolished, and electricity was cut to housing complexes and businesses, as rocket and artillery fire exploded across the Donetsk region.
Andriy Lysenko, a Ukrainian military spokesperson, said on Sunday that the offensive had "succeeded in almost completely cleaning the territory of the airport, which belongs to the territory of Ukrainian forces, as marked by military separation lines." Ukraine had not violated the Minsk peace accords agreed to with Russia and separatist leaders last September in doing so, he added.
"There wasn't a quiet moment [in Donetsk] all night," said Andriy, a local taxi driver and resident in his 50s who has lived in Donetsk his entire life. Speaking by phone, he told Mashable that the violence was the worst he's seen and heard since summer. Andriy asked that his last name not be used, fearing retribution from the rebels.
Rebels had claimed control of the wrecked Donetsk airport, once a site of great strategic importance -- now a point of pride for the warring sides -- that has been a focus of combat since the conflict began last April.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has staked his reputation on the fight for Donetsk airport, saying, "If we give up Donetsk [airport], the enemy will be at Borispil or Gostomel or even in Lviv."
Given #Poroshenko declared not to give up #DonetskAirport the fight will likely turn to a test for him as #Ukraine`s commander in chief.— Balazs Jarabik (@BalazsJarabik) January 18, 2015
Footage uploaded to the YouTube channel of Kiev's military operation in the east showed dozens of tanks moving toward the battle lines in Donetsk on Saturday.
Besides capturing the airport, the army's apparent aim with its operation was to push the rebels back, and open a corridor to evacuate wounded soldiers trapped in its terminal. Official and unofficial reports indicated that Kiev's operation to evacuate injured soldiers was successful.
Earlier today spoke to Ukrainian soldier (80brigade) within airport complex, confirms that seriously injured were evacuated last night.— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) January 18, 2015
The rebel leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, chalked up the operation to "just another [of] Kiev’s attempt to unleash a war," in comments carried by Russian news agency TASS.
The fighting reportedly continued through the morning, with fresh orders for Ukrainian forces to strike known separatist positions around Donetsk, according to presidential advisor Yuriy Biryukov in a Facebook post.
Ukrainian forces have stuck to the ceasefire long enough, but now "we will hit [the rebels] in the teeth," he said.
Russia's LifeNews, which reportedly has close ties to Russian security services, said a separatist-controlled bridge leading to the airport had been destroyed during the fighting, showing a video of it apparently collapsed and burning.
A producer for Russian state-run media outlet RT.com posted images that appeared to corroborate the report:
Путиловский мост #ДНР pic.twitter.com/7jyrAu8meA— Lida Vasilevskaya (@Vasilevskaya_RT) January 18, 2015
Ukraine's reported recapture of the airport after a week-long assault by separatists to take it, along with the cancellation last week of more peace talks in Minsk, Belarus and Astana, Kazakhstan, prompted officials on both sides of the conflict to warn of the growing possibility of a “full-scale, continental war."
Nearly 5,000 people have been killed since the conflict began last April. Ukraine and the West blame Russia for fomenting the conflict by sending troops and weapons to the rebels. Russia has vehemently denied the accusations, despite mounting evidence.
Analysts and officials debated the reason for the spike in violence on Twitter, with the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine saying it was "precipitated by separatist moves to grab territory."
@andrewsweiss @EastObserver But unambiguously precipitated by separatist moves to grab territory - enabled by new Russian weapons transfers— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) January 18, 2015
To many, the upstart of hostilities seemed to make clear that the tenuous cease-fire -- regularly violated by both sides from the start -- had been shredded.
Looks like ceasefire number 3 is over #Ukraine— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) January 15, 2015
Ukrainians march for peace
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets for peace marches around the country, holding placards reading "I am Volnovakha" in solidarity with the victims of a rocket attack this week that claimed 13 civilian lives on a highway near the eastern town of Volnovakha.
Poroshenko joined some 10,000 at Kiev's Independence Square, the site of last year's revolution that ousted his predecessor, and paved the way for his election.
#NOW thousands kneel down to commemorate 1st victims of #Euromaidan revolution on the spot where 1st ppl were killed pic.twitter.com/k1LNBlGOGG— Volodymyr Solohub (@v_solohub) January 18, 2015
"We will not give away any shred of Ukrainian land," the president was quoted by his spokesperson as saying. "We will win [and] throw away the invaders of Ukraine."
Poroshenko also pledged to "renew" the Donbass, using a common name to describe the industrial eastern regions of the country.
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/AP256602463325.jpg" caption="Friends and relatives say goodbye to volunteers being sent to eastern Ukraine to join the ranks of special battalion "Azov" fighting against pro-Russian separatists, in Kiev, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015." credit="AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov" alt="Ukraine"]
Earlier in the week, he signed a decree to mobilize 50,000 more troops, and send them to the front lines.