Here's a short item from our news desk on the battle at Donetsk airport as well as a deadly explosion at a bus stop in the same city
A Ukrainian military spokesman says government forces have withdrawn from terminal buildings at Donetsk airport, positions that they fiercely defended for months against pro-Russian separatists.
Meanwhile, media reports say at least six and as many as 13 people were killed on January 22 by an explosion at a public transport stop in the rebel-held city of Donetsk.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, but some reports said a mortar or artillery shell hit a trolleybus.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said in a statement on January 22 that parts of Donetsk airport remained under the control of government forces and a battle was continuing.
It said 20 Ukrainian soldiers withdrew from the ruins of the terminal buildings late on January 21 because "their positions had been destroyed and exposed to direct fire."
The statement said that least six government soldiers were killed in the fighting at the airport during the previous 24 hours along with four others killed by fighting elsewhere in eastern Ukraine.
It also said 16 government soldiers were wounded and captured by rebels at the airport.
(Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, Interfax)
Here is a Reuters video of the aftermath of the deadly blast at a Donetsk bus stop this morning. (WARNING: contains disturbing images):
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaking during a televised cabinet meeting in Moscow on measures to tackle the country's economic crisis:
"Colleagues, we all understand the reasons that triggered economic problems. There are a number of them that we have spoken about already more than once -- they are the structural problems of our economy; the ongoing consequences of the the crisis of 2008; of course, the fundamental fall -- I would even say a crash -- of oil prices; and, certainly, that external pressure that lead our country to make certain political decisions."
"It was a conscientious choice, the choice made per request of the people who turned to our country for help and support. Essentially, it is the united stance not only among the branches of our government, but that of our entire people. Thus, as responsible leaders we ought to understand the price we are compelled to pay for our decisions, the difficult work we'll have to undertake in order to minimize the consequences of economic problems. I simply would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is our collective responsibility."
A reminder that today marks one year since the first Euromaidan protesters were killed in clashes with Ukrainian police. The first person to die was ethnic Armenian Serzh Nihoyan:
"He loved history, both Armenian and Ukrainian," said his mother, Venera, saying that he remembered to light a candle every December 7 in memory of Armenia's devastating Spitak earthquake in 1988. "That's the kind of guy he was. He had never been to Armenia. But he dreamed of getting a passport and getting to travel there."
The next to die, later the same day, was Belarusian Mikhail Zhyzneuski:
Zhyzneuski, who was in his late 20s, reportedly died of a gunshot wound to the heart. Since moving to Ukraine, he had become a member of UNA-UNSO, a sometimes controversial Ukrainian nationalist organization that is militantly opposed to Russian influence.
Here's the story from our archive:
Ukrainian In Spirit, If Not Name: Euromaidan's First Victims
