While the initial protests were largely native expressions of discontent with the new Ukrainian government, Russia took advantage of them to launch a coordinated political and military campaign against Ukraine. As the conflict escalated in May 2014, Russia employed a "
hybrid approach", deploying a combination of disinformation, irregular fighters, regular Russian troops, and conventional military support to destabilise the Donbas.
Militants seize towns city council, 14 April 2014 Between 12 and 14 April 2014, Russian militants took control of government buildings in several towns and cities in Donetsk oblast, including
Sloviansk,
Kramatorsk,
Druzhkivka,
Horlivka,
Mariupol,
Yenakiieve,
Makiivka and
Zhdanivka. The militants
wore no insignia and had been sent from occupied Crimea via Russia. The unit was made up of fifty Russian Armed Forces volunteers, commanded by former
GRU colonel
Igor 'Strelkov' Girkin, a right-wing Russian nationalist associated with the
neo-imperialist movement. In an interview for Russian ultranationalist newspaper
Zavtra, he said that this action sparked the war in eastern Ukraine:"I'm the one who pulled the trigger of this war. If our unit hadn't crossed the border, everything would have fizzled out, like in Kharkiv or Odesa". Girkin explained that "nobody there wanted to fight" until his unit seized Sloviansk. Pro-Russian militants unlawfully detained journalists (including American
Simon Ostrovsky), local civilians, and the elected mayor,
Nelya Shtepa. On 25 April, they kidnapped eight
OSCE observers and held them captive, claiming they were "NATO spies". The militants also carried out several
summary executions. Girkin later took responsibility for these. According to Serhiy Kudelia in ''Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine'', "None of the local activists who organized the first anti-Kyiv protests in Sloviansk played any prominent role once Girkin seized the town". Although some joined the paramilitaries, they were commanded by outsiders; "separatist resistance in Sloviansk was thus fully subordinated to the interests of a small group of Russian citizens acting in coordination with their Moscow chiefs".
Kramatorsk The same day as the capture of Sloviansk, Girkin's men attacked the police station in nearby
Kramatorsk, resulting in a shootout. The fighters, claiming to be members of the
Donbas People's Militia, later captured the police station. They removed the police station's sign and raised the flag of the Donetsk People's Republic over the building. They then issued an ultimatum that stated that if the city's mayor and administration did not swear allegiance to the Republic by the following Monday, they would remove them from office. They said that they would use force if needed to defend the building from "criminals and terrorists". By 14 April militants had captured the building after a tense standoff with the police. The local chief of police was captured and badly beaten by the insurgents. A Horlivka city council deputy,
Volodymyr Rybak, was kidnapped by masked men believed to be pro-Russian militants on 17 April. His body was later found in a river in occupied Sloviansk on 22 April. The city administration building was seized on 30 April, solidifying separatist control over Horlivka.
Other settlements Other smaller towns, as well as government buildings, were seized by Russian-backed militants in the Donbas. In
Artemivsk (Bakhmut) on 12 April, separatists failed to capture the local Ministry of Internal Affairs office, but instead
captured the city administration building and raised the DPR flag over it. The city administration buildings in
Yenakiieve and
Druzhkivka were also captured. Police repelled an attack by pro-Russian militants upon an office of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs in
Krasnyi Lyman on 12 April, but the building was later captured by the separatists after a skirmish. Insurgents affiliated with the Donbas People's Militia occupied a regional administration building in
Khartsyzk on 13 April, followed by a local administration building in
Zhdanivka on 14 April. On 12 April, unmarked
pro-Russian militants seized the
Donetsk headquarters of the
Interior Ministry and two police stations without resistance, while an assault on the general prosecutor's office was repelled. According to anonymous witnesses, some militants wore uniforms of the
Berkut special police force, which had been dissolved by the new government following the February revolution. The militants also took over the municipal administration building unopposed on 16 April. Demonstrators hoisted the DPR flag over the city administration buildings in
Krasnoarmiisk and
Novoazovsk on 16 April. The local administration building in
Siversk was similarly captured on 18 April. Following the takeover, local police announced that they would co-operate with the activists.
Beginning of government "Anti-Terrorist Operation" The first conflict deaths in the Donbas occurred on 13 April, when the Russian paramilitaries who occupied Sloviansk fired on Ukrainian SBU officers on the city outskirts. Ukrainian
Alpha Group captain Gennady Bilichenko was killed and several wounded, while at least one Russian militant was killed by return fire. In response to the separatist takeover of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, attacks on government forces and police stations in the Donbas, and their refusal to surrender, Turchynov announced that Ukrainian forces would launch an "Anti-Terrorist Operation" on 15 April. However, Ukrainian forces were poorly prepared, and the operation soon stalled. Russian paramilitary commander Igor Strelkov said that Ukrainian forces were "extremely cautious" at first, as Russian troops were massed on Ukraine's border and the Ukrainians were unsure how Russia would respond. As part of this counter-offensive, in the
Battle of Kramatorsk, Ukrainian special forces re-took
Kramatorsk Airfield on 15 April, after a skirmish with the
Donbas People's Militia. Ukrainian officials and Russian media said at least four rebels were killed and several captured. Outside the airfield, angry protesters surrounded Ukrainian unit commander Lt. Gen. and demanded to know why troops had "fired on locals". Krutov said the unrest was being led by Russian forces and "We need to destroy this foreign invader". On 16 April, Ukraine's
25th Airborne Brigade entered Kramatorsk in columns of
BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicles. They were blocked by crowds of civilians "with members of a Russian diversionary-terrorist group among them", according to Ukraine's defense ministry. One of the columns was surrounded and disarmed, and their six armored vehicles were captured by Russian paramilitaries, who drove them to Sloviansk. The same day, a large crowd backed by Russian paramilitaries halted another Ukrainian armored column in Pchyolkino, letting them go only after soldiers surrendered their rifle magazines. although this was later cancelled.
infantry fighting vehicle, 16 April 2014 In Mariupol on 17 April, three members of the Donbas People's Militia were killed, 11 wounded and 63 arrested after a failed assault on a
Ukrainian National Guard base. On 17 April 2014, an agreement was signed in
Geneva by representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the EU and the US. It called for a ceasefire in the Donbas, for all illegal armed groups to disarm, and for all illegally occupied buildings and public places to be vacated. The pro-Russian paramilitaries refused to leave occupied buildings and refused to disarm until the Ukrainian nationalist group
Right Sector disarmed. The Ukrainian government announced on 19 April 2014 that it had paused its counter-offensive in the Donbas. On 20 April, separatists in Yenakiieve left the city administration building there, which they had occupied since 13 April.
Re-launch of Ukrainian operation outside the village of Andriivka near Sloviansk, 2 May 2014 Ukraine re-launched the stalled operation against pro-Russian paramilitaries on 22 April, after the body of local councillor
Volodymyr Rybak was found dumped in a river near Sloviansk. He had been kidnapped on 17 April by pro-Russian militants after he tried to re-raise the Ukrainian flag over
Horlivka city council building. The bodies of
Maidan activists Yuri Popravko and Yuri Diakovskyi were also found in the river. All three had been kidnapped, tortured, mutilated and killed by pro-Russian militants. They were the first civilians killed by pro-Russian forces in the Donbas war. Turchynov said that "the terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk Oblast hostage have now gone too far". On 21 April, demonstrators gathered for a "people's assembly" outside the SBU building in Luhansk and called for a "people's government", demanding either federalisation or joining Russia. At this assembly, they elected
Valery Bolotov as "People's Governor". Two referendums were announced, one to be held on 11 May to determine whether Luhansk region should seek greater autonomy, and another scheduled for 18 May to determine whether the region should join Russia, or declare independence. The Internal Affairs Ministry reported that the city of
Sviatohirsk, near Sloviansk, was retaken by Ukrainian troops on 23 April. In addition, the Defence Ministry said it had taken control over all points of strategic importance in the area around
Kramatorsk. On 24 April, 70 to 100 insurgents armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers attacked an armoury in Artemivsk. The depot housed around 30
tanks. Ukrainian troops attempted to fight off the insurgents, but were forced to retreat after many men were wounded by insurgent fire. On 24 April, Avakov said that Ukrainian troops had captured the city administration in Mariupol, after
a clash with pro-Russian demonstrators there. Despite this, a report by the BBC said that whilst it appeared that Ukrainian troops and the mayor of Mariupol did enter the building in the early morning, Ukrainian troops had abandoned it by the afternoon. Local pro-Russian activists blamed Ukrainian nationalists for the attack upon the building but said that the DPR had regained control. A representative of the Republic,
Irina Voropoyeva, said, "We, the Donetsk People's Republic, still control the building. There was an attempted provocation but now it's over." By 6 May, 14 Ukrainian troops had died and 66 had been injured in the fighting. Insurgents took over the offices of the regional state television network on 27 April. After capturing the broadcasting centre, the militants began to broadcast Russian television channels. The
Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) was declared on 27 April. Representatives of the Republic demanded that the Ukrainian government provide amnesty for all protesters, enshrine Russian as an official language, and hold a referendum on the status of the region. In
Krasnyi Luch, the city administration conceded to demands by separatist activists that it support the
referendums on the status of Donetsk and Luhansk of 11 May, and followed by raising the Russian flag over the city administration building. Activists in
Rovenky occupied a police building on 5 May, but quickly left it. On the same day, the police headquarters in
Slovianoserbsk was seized by members of the
Army of the South-East, affiliated with the Luhansk People's Republic. The town of
Antratsyt was occupied by a number of renegade
Don Cossacks. Insurgents went on to seize the prosecutor's office in
Sievierodonetsk on 7 May. On the next day, supporters of the Luhansk People's Republic captured government buildings in
Starobilsk. After a government counter-offensive as part of the "Anti-Terrorist Operation" in Donetsk Oblast on 2–3 May, the insurgents were routed from Kramatorsk's occupied
SBU building. Despite this, Ukrainian troops quickly withdrew from the city for unknown reasons, and the separatists quickly regained control. Sporadic fighting continued until 5 July, when the insurgents withdrew from Kramatorsk. Anti-government demonstrators said that government forces had used tear gas during the operation, resulting in injuries when the demonstrators tried to re-occupy the building after the National Guard withdrew. By the morning of 7 May, the flag of the DPR was once again flying over the building. Militants then launched an attack on a local police station, leading the Ukrainian government to send in military forces. Skirmishes between the troops and local demonstrators caused the city administration building to be set on fire. Government forces were unsuccessful in forcing out the pro-Russians, and only further inflamed tensions in Mariupol. Internal Affairs minister Avakov said that 60 insurgents attacked the police building, not Ukrainian troops and that the police and other government forces had managed to repel the insurgents. Between six and twenty militants were killed, along with one police officer. Four militants were captured, and five policemen were wounded. During the fighting, pro-Russian protesters seized one armoured personnel carrier, and afterwards barricaded the city centre with tyres. Also, an unnamed
UOC-MP priest attempted to negotiate with separatists near
Druzhkivka, but was later killed after being shot eight times.
May 2014: post-referendum fighting It was reported on 12 May that, following
the local autonomy referendum, the
Donbas People's Militia leader
Igor Girkin declared himself "Supreme Commander" of the Donetsk People's Republic. In his decree, he demanded that all military stationed in the region swear an oath of allegiance to him within 48 hours, and said that all remaining Ukrainian military in the region would be "destroyed on the spot". He then petitioned the
Russian Federation for military support to protect against "the threat of intervention by NATO" and "genocide".
Pavel Gubarev, president of Donetsk People's Republic, instituted martial law on 15 May, and vowed for "total annihilation" of Ukrainian forces if they did not pull out of the
Donbas by 21:00. Similarly, the president of the Luhansk People's Republic,
Valery Bolotov, declared martial law on 22 May. The Donetsk-based steel magnate
Rinat Akhmetov called on his 300,000 employees within the Donetsk region to "rally against separatists" on 20 May. Sirens sounded at noon at his factories to signal the beginning of the rally. A so-called "Peace March" was held in the
Donbas Arena in
Donetsk city, accompanied by cars sounding their horns at noon.
BBC News and
Ukrainska Pravda reported that some vehicles were attacked by separatists, and that gunmen had warned the offices of several city taxi services not to take part. Most insurgents left the city, and the few who remained were said to be unarmed. Despite this, the headquarters of the Donetsk People's Republic remained untouched, and pro-Russian demonstrators could still be seen outside the burnt city administration. In response to Akhmetov's refusal to pay taxes to the Donetsk People's Republic, on 20 May the chairman of the State Council of the DPR,
Denis Pushilin, announced that the Republic would attempt to nationalise Akhmetov's assets. On 25 May, between 2,000 and 5,000 protesters marched to Akhmetov's mansion in Donetsk city, and demanded the nationalisation of Akhmetov's property, while chanting "Akhmetov is an enemy of the people!". On 22 May, 18 Ukrainian soldiers were killed during an insurgent attack upon an army checkpoint near the city of
Volnovakha. Three armoured personnel carriers and several lorries were destroyed in the attack, whilst one insurgent was killed. On the same day, a convoy consisting of 100 soldiers attempted to cross a bridge at
Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast, and advance into insurgent-held territory. They were ambushed by a group of between 300 and 500 insurgents. After fighting that lasted throughout the day, the soldiers were forced to retreat. Between two and fourteen soldiers and between seven and twenty insurgents were killed during the fighting. Three army infantry combat vehicles and one lorry were destroyed, and another three armoured vehicles were captured by the insurgents. The Internal Affairs Ministry stated that some insurgents had attempted to enter Luhansk Oblast from Russia, but had been repelled by border guards. Following a declaration by Pavel Gubarev establishing the "
New Russia Party" on 22 May, representatives of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics signed an agreement creating the
confederative state of
New Russia. Separatists planned to incorporate most of Ukraine's southern and eastern regions into the new confederation, including the key cities of
Kharkiv,
Kherson,
Dnipropetrovsk,
Mykolaiv,
Zaporizhzhia and
Odesa. The declaration signed established the position of Russian Orthodoxy as the state religion and an intention to nationalise key industries. " in Semenivka with the flag of "New Russia" (
Novorossiya) in June 2014 A unit of the pro-government
Donbas Battalion volunteer paramilitary attempted to advance on a separatist checkpoint near the village of
Karlivka, northwest of Donetsk city, on 23 May. They were ambushed by a group of between 150 and 200 separatists, supported by one of the captured armoured personnel carriers. The pro-government paramilitary was surrounded by the separatists, and outnumbered six to one until fighters affiliated with the nationalist
Right Sector broke through the separatist lines to allow some members of the group to escape. Pro-Russian leader
Igor Bezler said that he executed all of the captured paramilitaries. Another separatist leader confirmed four of their fighters were killed, and also said that ten pro-government paramilitaries and two civilians died.
Escalation in May and June 2014 First Battle of Donetsk Airport On the morning of 26 May 200 pro-Russian insurgents, including members of the
Vostok Battalion, captured the main terminal of the
Donetsk International Airport, erected roadblocks around it, and demanded that government forces withdraw. Soon after these demands were issued, the Ukrainian National Guard issued an ultimatum to the separatists, asking them to surrender. This was subsequently rejected. Government forces then launched an assault on separatist positions at the airport with paratroopers and airstrikes. Attack helicopters were used by government forces. They targeted a separatist-operated anti-aircraft gun. An estimated 40 insurgents died in the fighting, with some civilians caught in the crossfire. Between 15 and 35 insurgents were killed in a single friendly-fire incident, when two lorries carrying wounded fighters away from the airport were ambushed by insurgents mistaking them for Ukrainian forces. During the fighting at the airport,
Druzhba Arena in Donetsk city was ransacked by pro-Russian insurgents, who looted the building and destroyed surveillance equipment, and set it ablaze. Concurrently, Donetsk police said the insurgents had killed two policemen in the nearby town of Horlivka.
The Moscow Times reported that the two men had been executed for "breaking their oath to the Donetsk People's Republic".
Mykhailo Koval, the Minister of Defence, said on 30 May that Ukrainian government forces had "completely cleared" the insurgents from the southern and western parts of Donetsk Oblast and the northern part of Luhansk Oblast. Meanwhile, an internal coup replaced the leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic, and some bodies of Russian fighters killed in the airport battle were repatriated to Russia.
Luhansk border post siege Two separatists were killed in a skirmish with Ukrainian border guards on 31 May. Two days later, five separatists were killed when 500 separatists attacked a border post in Luhansk Oblast. Eleven border guards and eight separatists were wounded during the fighting, which also killed one civilian.
2 June Luhansk airstrike On 2 June, eight people were killed and more than 20 wounded by a series of explosions hitting the occupied RSA building in Luhansk city. The
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) published a report on the next day, stating that based on "limited observation", they believed that the explosion was caused by an airstrike, supporting separatist claims. A CNN investigation found clear evidence that the attack came from the air and the pattern of the craters suggested use of standard equipment on the Su-25, a ground-attack fighter, and the Su-27 – both combat aircraft operated by Ukraine. Although the
Russian Federation also uses
Sukhoi Su-27, it was not mentioned in the CNN news article as even a possibility.
Radio Liberty also concluded that "Despite Denials, All Evidence For Deadly Explosion Points To Kyiv". CNN said that it was the first time that civilians had been killed in an attack by the Ukrainian air force during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in the Donbas.
Continued fighting Government forces destroyed a separatist stronghold in Semenivka, and regained control of
Krasnyi Lyman on 3 June. Two soldiers were killed in the fighting, and forty-five were wounded, with conflicting reports about losses on the insurgent side. Insurgents said that at least 25 were killed while in hospital at Krasnyi Lyman. Both sides denied the other's accounts of the battle, and the reports were not independently confirmed. Another border post was attacked on 5 June, in the village of
Marynivka. Government officials said that between 15 and 16 insurgents were killed and that five soldiers were injured as well. A shootout between rival separatist groups in Donetsk city took place on 7 June, near the Donetsk RSA. The vice-president of the Donetsk People's Republic, Maxim Petrukhin, was killed in the fighting, and president
Denis Pushilin was wounded.
Russian tank incursion Ukrainian officials said that Russia had allowed tanks to cross the Russo-Ukrainian border into Donetsk Oblast on 11 June. Internal Affairs Minister
Arsen Avakov said "we have observed columns passing with armoured personnel carriers, other armoured vehicles and artillery pieces, and tanks which, according to our information, came across the border and this morning were in
Snizhne". He continued by saying Ukrainian forces had destroyed part of the column, and that fighting was still under way.
Reuters correspondents confirmed the presence of three tanks in Donetsk city, and the US
State Department's
Bureau of Intelligence and Research also said that Russia had indeed sent tanks, along with other heavy weapons, to the separatists in Ukraine. The weapons sent are said to have included: a column of three
T-64 tanks, several
BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, and other military vehicles. "Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area", the State Department said in a statement. "We are confident that these tanks came from Russia". The
newly elected Ukrainian president
Petro Poroshenko said that it was "unacceptable" for tanks to cross into Ukraine. Russia called the reports "another fake piece of information". Nevertheless, the three tanks were later spotted moving through
Makiivka and
Torez, flying the flag of the Russian Federation. Insurgents confirmed that they had obtained three tanks, but leaders refused to elaborate on how they acquired them; one militant told reporters that they originated "from a military warehouse". in Ukrainian service, 12 June 2014 On the day after the tank incursion, three soldiers were killed when they were ambushed by insurgents in
Stepanivka. Heavy fighting resumed during the morning of 13 June, when the government launched a new attack against insurgents in Mariupol. Ukrainian troops managed to recapture the city, and declared it the "provisional capital" of Donetsk Oblast until the government regains control over Donetsk city. Ukrainian troops gained control of Mariupol on 13 June with assistance from the National Guard. The headquarters of the DPR was captured, and Mariupol was declared the provisional capital of Donetsk Oblast, instead of Donetsk city, which was occupied by separatists. Meanwhile, an agreement between the Minister of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, and the president of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, meant to create a ceasefire and allow civilians to escape the violence in Sloviansk, failed with both sides blaming each other for launching new attacks. During the next morning, a convoy of border guardsmen was attacked by insurgents while passing Mariupol, leaving at least five of the guardsmen dead.
Ilyushin Il-76 shoot-down A
Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76MD was shot down by forces aligned with the
Luhansk People's Republic on 14 June. The aircraft was preparing to land at
Luhansk International Airport, and was carrying troops and equipment from an undisclosed location. All 49 people on board died.
Battle of Yampil Late on 19 June, a battle fought with tanks and armoured vehicles broke out in the town of
Yampil, near government-held
Krasnyi Lyman. Up to 4,000 insurgents were present for the fighting, which started, according to the insurgents, after the Armed Forces attempted to capture insurgent-held Yampil, with the goal of breaking through to
Siversk. According to the Armed Forces, it started after insurgents attempted to break through a cordon of government troops around government-held Krasny Lyman. The battle was described as exceeding "in terms of force and scale anything there has been" during the conflict in the Donbas. The Armed Forces deployed both air and artillery strikes in their attempts to rout the insurgents. The battle continued into the next day. Overnight, between 7 and 12 soldiers were killed and between 25 and 30 were wounded. The Armed Forces said they killed 300 insurgents, but this was not independently verified, the separatists confirmed only two deaths and seven wounded on their side. The Ukrainian military said that they had gained control of Yampil and Siversk on 20 June 20 hours before a unilateral ceasefire by Ukrainian forces, as part of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko's
15-point peace plan. They also acknowledged that there was still heavy fighting in the area around Yampil, and the village of Zakitne. By this point, the number of soldiers killed in the battle had reached 13. During the continued fighting, militants blew up a bridge over a river in the village of Zakitne.
July 2014: post-ceasefire government offensive After
a week-long ceasefire unilaterally declared by Ukrainian president
Petro Poroshenko ended, the Armed Forces renewed their operations against the insurgents on 1 July. Shelling occurred in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and government forces retook a border crossing in
Dolzhansk, one of the three major border crossings occupied by the separatists. Government forces also recaptured the villages of
Brusivka and
Stary Karavan. On the same day, insurgents in Luhansk said that they had taken control of
Luhansk International Airport. On 1 July 2014 in Donetsk a street gunfight broke between rival factions of pro-Russian militants, which resulted in one person being fatally wounded and two others in critical conditions. Internal Affairs Ministry spokesman Zoryan Shkyriakuk said that over 1,000 pro-Russian insurgents were killed in the first day following the resumption of hostilities.
Liga.net, citing a source involved with the government military operation, reported that over 400 insurgents were killed in action, but that the higher figures reported earlier could not be confirmed. Separatists themselves reported only two deaths in fighting at
Mykolaivka. Insurgents attacked a border post in
Novoazovsk on 2 July. During the attack,
mortars were fired upon the post, and clashes broke out. One border guard was killed in the fighting, and another eight guardsmen were injured. Government forces recaptured the town of
Mykolaivka, near Sloviansk, on 4 July. A group of DPR-affiliated militants defected as a result, and joined the Ukrainian army. In a further blow to the insurgents, government forces retook the stronghold of
Sloviansk on 5 July. Commander of the DPR insurgents,
Igor Girkin, took the decision "due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy", according to DPR prime minister
Alexander Borodai. He said that DPR forces had retreated to
Kramatorsk, but
BBC News reported that they were seen abandoning their checkpoints in Kramatorsk. After the retreat of Girkin's forces to Donetsk, he assumed control of the DPR, replacing the previous authorities there in what was described as a "
coup d'état". Subsequently, Ukraine's Armed Forces recaptured
Druzhkivka,
Kostyantynivka, and
Artemivsk. Amidst the insurgent retreat, Donetsk city mayor
Oleksandr Lukyanchenko said that at least 30,000 people had left the city since April. In a separate development, Ukrainian forces said they spotted two
aerial drones in Mariupol, and shot one of them down. Ahead of a planned government offensive on the insurgent-occupied city of Donetsk, key roads leading into the city were blocked on 7 July. Insurgents destroyed railway bridges over the roads, causing them to collapse and block the roads. Defence Minister
Valeriy Heletey stated on 8 July that there would be "no more unilateral ceasefires", and said dialogue was only possible if the insurgents laid down their weapons. More fighting broke out at
Luhansk International Airport on 9 July. LPR-affiliated insurgents said that they had captured the airport on 1 July, but the Ukrainian army managed to maintain control over it. More than 10,000 households in Luhansk Oblast were without gas service due to damage to gas lines, according to a statement on the same day by the regional gas supplier. Clashes at the Donetsk International Airport continued on 10 July. Insurgents fired mortars at the airport, and attempted to recapture it, but were repelled by the Armed Forces. Ukrainian forces also retook the city of
Siversk, which was confirmed by the insurgents. On the same day, the Luhansk city administration reported that six civilians had been injured due to ongoing hostilities across the city. There were also reports of factionalism among the separatists, with some desertions. According to these reports, the
Vostok Battalion had rejected the authority of Igor Girkin.
Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the DPR, denied these reports, however, and said that they were lies. Heavy fighting continued in Luhansk Oblast on 11 July. On that day, an Armed Forces column travelling near
Rovenky was attacked by an insurgent-operated
Grad rocket lorry. An air strike launched by the Armed Forces eventually managed to destroy the
rocket launcher, but only after 23 soldiers were killed. In response to the attack, Ukrainian president Poroshenko said that "For every life of our soldiers, the militants will pay with tens and hundreds of their own". The Ukrainian government said that 500 insurgents were killed in these strikes, which they said were
retaliations for the separatist rocket attack on the previous day. Four people were killed at
Marinka, a western suburb of Donetsk city, after rockets struck an insurgent-held area of the city. The Ukrainian government and separatists blamed each other for the attack.
Fighting worsens in eastern Donetsk Oblast After a brief lull following the insurgent withdrawal from the northern part of Donetsk Oblast, fighting continued to escalate sharply in the eastern parts of Donetsk Oblast.
Shells landed on the border town of
Donetsk in
Rostov Oblast, a part of Russia, on 13 July. One civilian was killed in the shelling. Russian officials blamed the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the shelling, whilst Ukraine denied responsibility and accused insurgents in the Donbas of having staged a
false flag attack. Russia said it was considering launching
airstrikes against government targets in Ukraine as retaliation for the shelling. Ukrainian forces went on to make gains around Luhansk, ending an insurgent blockade of Luhansk International Airport. LPR officials acknowledged that they lost 30 men during fighting in the village of
Oleksandrivka. The insurgent-occupied town of Snizhne was hit by rockets fired from an aeroplane on 15 July, leaving at least 11 people dead, and destroying multiple homes. The insurgents blamed the Air Force of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian government denied any involvement in the attack. Clashes broke out between insurgents and the Armed Forces along the border with Russia in
Shakhtarsk Raion on 16 July. Insurgents who had been holed up in the town of
Stepanivka made an attempt to escape encirclement by government forces at 05:00. According to a report by the
National Guard, a roadblock near the border village of Marynivka was attacked by the insurgents with tanks, mortar fire, and anti-tank missiles. The checkpoint was shelled for over an hour, causing significant damage to infrastructure in Marynivka. Guardsmen managed to repel the attack, and forced the insurgents back to Stepanivka, where fighting continued.
Downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 On 17 July 2014, DPR forces shot down a civilian passenger jet,
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over
Hrabove (a village in the Donetsk Oblask), killing all 298 people on board. This disaster followed two similar incidents earlier in the week, when two Ukrainian Air Force planes were shot down. DPR-affiliated insurgents blamed the Ukrainian government for the disaster, whereas the government, Netherlands, and Australia blamed Russia and the insurgents. The responsibility for investigation was delegated to the
Dutch Safety Board (DSB) and the Dutch-led
joint investigation team (JIT), who concluded that the airliner was downed by a
Buk surface-to-air missile launched from pro-Russian
separatist-controlled territory in Ukraine. According to the JIT, the Buk that was used originated from the
53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the
Russian Federation, and had been transported from Russia on the day of the crash, fired from a field in a separatist-controlled area, and the launcher returned to Russia after it was used to shoot down MH17. On the basis of the JIT's conclusions, the governments of the Netherlands and Australia held Russia responsible for the deployment of the Buk installation and took steps to hold Russia formally accountable. The statement said that a barrage of rockets hit "virtually every district". The shelling forced OSCE monitors to flee from their office in Luhansk, and move to
Starobilsk. Government forces went on to capture the south-eastern section of the city. Another 16 people died overnight, and at least 60 were wounded. According to a government report, Luhansk airport was secured by government forces amidst the battle. Heavy fighting also resumed around Donetsk airport overnight, and explosions were heard in all districts of the city. The city fell quiet by 09:00 on 19 July. By 21 July, heavy fighting in Donetsk had begun again. Donetsk was rocked by explosions, and heavy weapons fire caused smoke to rise over the city. Fighting was concentrated in the northwestern districts of
Kyivskyi and
Kuibyshevskyi, and also near the central railway station and airport, leading local residents to seek refuge in bomb shelters, or to flee the city. The city's water supply was cut off during the fighting, and all railway and bus service was stopped. The streets emptied, and insurgents erected barricades across the city to control traffic. The cities of
Dzerzhynsk,
Soledar, and
Rubizhne were also recaptured by government forces. The suburb of
Mayorsk, just outside
Horlivka, and the city of
Sievierodonetsk, in Luhansk Oblast, were recaptured by the Armed Forces on 22 July. OSCE monitors visiting Donetsk following the previous day's fighting there said that the city was "practically deserted", and that the fighting had stopped. On the same day, DPR prime minister
Alexander Borodai said that he wanted to resume ceasefire talks. DPR commander
Igor Girkin also said "The time has come when Russia must take a final decision – to really support Donbas's Russians or abandon them forever". Also, the pro-Ukrainian paramilitary
Donbas Battalion captured
Popasna. highway, 25 July 2014 After having retaken
Sievierodonetsk, government forces fought insurgents around the neighbouring city of
Lysychansk. An insurgent car bomb killed three soldiers during the fighting there.
Grad rocket attacks were launched against government forces garrisoned at
Vesela Hora,
Kamysheve, and also Luhansk airport. The press centre for the government military operation said that situation remained "most complex" in the areas around "Donetsk city, Luhansk city,
Krasnodon and
Popasna". Government forces broke through the insurgent blockade around Donetsk airport on 23 July and then advanced into the northwestern corner of Donetsk city. Insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that this was done to fortify Donetsk city centre, and also to avoid being encircled by government forces. He also said that he did not expect a government incursion into Donetsk city centre. On July 24 government forces recaptured
Lysychansk. On the same day, fighting raged around
Horlivka. Government forces launched air and artillery strikes on insurgents within the city, and clashes were fought all around it. One important bridge collapsed in the fighting, severing a critical route out of the city. People fled the violence in cars and on foot. The fighting continued overnight into 26 July, with explosions, shelling, and shooting heard across the city. During the third day of the government's offensive on the insurgent-stronghold of
Horlivka, between 20 and 30 civilians were killed on 27 July. Horlivka was virtually abandoned, with electric power and water cut off. Shelling damaged or destroyed many buildings, including a hospital, greengrocer's, and energy company office. Ukrainian troops also entered the town of
Shakhtarsk, fought the insurgents that had been occupying it, and captured it around 14:30. This cut off the supply corridor between the territories held by the DPR and LPR, isolating insurgents in Donetsk city. Skirmishes also broke out in the nearby towns of
Snizhne and
Torez. The intense combat across
Shakhtarsk Raion forced a party of Dutch and Australian policemen to call off an attempt to investigate the crash site of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. 41 Ukrainian soldiers deserted their posts and went to the insurgent-controlled
Izvaryne border crossing, where they told insurgents that they refused to fight against their "own people". The insurgents allowed them to flee Ukraine, and cross into Russia. By 28 July, the strategic heights of
Savur-Mohyla were under Ukrainian control, along with the town of
Debaltseve. Insurgents had previously used Savur-Mohyla to shell Ukrainian troops around the town of Marynivka. By 29 July, a further 17 civilians had been killed in the fighting, along with an additional 43 people injured. Shelling continued in the
Leninskyi and
Kyivskyi districts of Donetsk city. According to the city administration, these districts were heavily damaged. According to a report by
National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, crossing points on the border with Russia were attacked from Russian territory at least 153 times since 5 June. 27 border guardsmen were killed in these attacks, and 185 were injured. Government forces made a further advance on 30 July, when they evicted insurgents from
Avdiivka, near Donetsk airport. Military operations were paused on 31 July. This was meant to allow international experts to examine the crash site of
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which is located in
Shakhtarsk Raion, where the fiercest battles had been taking place on the previous few days. Monitors were escorted to the site by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Little fuel remained to power emergency generators. Minor skirmishes occurred in Vasylivka and Zhovtneve. Meanwhile, talks between the separatists, Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE were held in
Minsk. 11 went missing, and 13 were wounded. A government offensive on the city of
Pervomaisk in Luhansk Oblast continued. Government forces closed in on Luhansk and Donetsk cities on 3 August. A number of civilians were killed in fighting in both cities. Luhansk was reported to be "virtually surrounded", with little electrical power or water supply available. The situation in the city of Donetsk was less dire, as trains to Russia were still running, but fighting and shelling did not relent. They also said that they had completely cut off supply lines between the DPR and LPR, after more than a week of fighting in
Shakhtarsk Raion. , 6 August 2014After a prolonged battle, the Armed Forces recaptured the vital town of
Yasynuvata on 4 August. At least five soldiers died in the fighting to capture the town, which is a strategic railway junction on the main road between Donetsk and Luhansk cities. The pro-government paramilitary
Azov and
Shakhtarsk battalions said that they had advanced into Donetsk city, and had begun to "liberate" it. The Ukrainian government said that all civilians should evacuate from Donetsk, and issued statements asking DPR and LPR forces to help establish "humanitarian corridors" to allow civilians in Donetsk, Luhansk and Horlivka to flee. Commenting on the situation in Luhansk, mayor Sergei Kravchenko said "As a result of the blockade and ceaseless rocket attacks, the city is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe". As government troops pushed into Donetsk on 5 August, heavy fighting erupted at 17:00 in the Petrovskyi district of the city. Elsewhere, insurgents recaptured the town of Yasynuvata after a retreat by government forces. A spokesman from the
National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine said that the Armed Forces left the town to avoid harming the "peaceful population", and that the city was being evacuated so that it could be "completely liberated". He also said that the railway station remained under government control, and that all railway traffic had been blocked. Fighting between insurgents and government forces across the Donbas region continued "constantly" over the course of the day. , 3 August 2014 Fighting and shelling continued around Donetsk on 8 August, with several civilians killed or injured. By 9 August, insurgent commander Igor Girkin said that Donetsk had been "completely encircled" by government forces. This followed the capture of the vital town of
Krasnyi Luch by the government, after insurgent-aligned Cossacks stationed there fled. Overnight and into 10 August, government forces launched an artillery barrage on Donetsk city. According to a spokesman for the Armed Forces, insurgents began to flee the city during the barrage, and were in a state of "panic and chaos". Hospitals and residential buildings were heavily damaged, and many remaining residents took shelter in basements. Heavy shelling of Donetsk continued into 14 August. During this artillery barrage, Igor Girkin resigned from his post as commander of the insurgent forces of the Donetsk People's Republic. He was replaced by
Vladimir Kononov, who is known by the
nom de guerre Tsar. Girkin's resignation, along with the 7 August resignation of DPR prime minister
Alexander Borodai (who was replaced by
Alexander Zakharchenko), represented a shift in the nature of the conflict. Given the recent military failings of the DPR and the LPR, Russia decided that it could no longer rely on a patchwork of irregular fighters in the Donbas, and ordered a change in leadership. NATO Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen confirmed that a "Russian incursion" into Ukraine had occurred. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that Ukrainian artillery engaged and destroyed a "significant" portion of the armoured column. The
Russian Defence Ministry denied the existence of any such convoy. Following this incident, the newly appointed prime minister of the DPR
Alexander Zakharchenko said that his forces included 1,200 Russian-trained combatants. , 7 August 2014 A Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-29 fighter jet was shot down by the insurgents in Luhansk Oblast on 17 August. Ten civilians were killed during continued shelling in Donetsk. The insurgent-occupied city of Horlivka was encircled by the Armed Forces on 18 August. Government forces also advanced into the edges of Luhansk city. A convoy of refugees from Luhansk
was hit by Grad rockets near the village of
Novosvitlivka. Dozens of civilians died in the attack, which the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine blamed on the insurgents. Insurgents denied attacking any refugee convoys. After having edged into Luhansk city on 18 August, government forces began to advance through the city "block by block" on 19 August. Fighting was heard in streets across the city, and shelling of many insurgent-occupied districts continued. There was also fighting
Makiivka and
Ilovaisk, two cities just outside Donetsk city. A spokesman for the Internal Affairs Ministry said that government forces were "clearing" Ilovaisk of insurgents, and later captured most of the city. The headquarters of the DPR in Donetsk city were also shelled. Fighting across Donetsk Oblast on 19 August resulted in the deaths of 34 civilians. By early evening on 20 August, government forces said that they had recaptured "significant parts" of the city of Luhansk, after a series of running battles in streets throughout the day. On 23 August heavily armed men, believed to be Russian troops, erected a roadblock southwest of
Amvrosiivka, in the vicinity of Kolosky, approximately 10 kilometers from the border. The next day, Ukrainian media reported that
Russian army armoured forces equipped with 250 vehicles and artillery had entered Amvrosiivka, in what seemed to be the beginning of a major offensive on
Mariupol. By 25 August, an insurgent counter-offensive had stalled the government's advance on Donetsk and Luhansk cities. Insurgents attacked government positions in
Shchastia, and along the
Siverskyi Donets River in Luhansk Oblast. As this attack occurred, insurgents in Luhansk received reinforcements. Government forces near
Ilovaisk and Amvrosiivka in Donetsk Oblast became surrounded by insurgents, after their attempt to take Ilovaisk was halted by heavy shelling. Other volunteer battalions, such as the
Azov and
Dnipro, left Ilovaisk after encountering heavy resistance. Donbas Battalion leader
Semen Semenchenko said "I think it is profitable for the defence ministry not to send help, but to achieve a situation where volunteer battalions start blaming each other about who helped who". A column of armoured vehicles crossed into Ukraine from Russia near
Novoazovsk on 25 August. There had been no insurgent formations within of this area for many weeks. Heavy fighting took place in the village of Markyne, from Novoazovsk. Insurgents used the village as a base to shell Novoazovsk. A spokesman for the
National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine said that the entrance of the column into Ukraine was an attempt "by the Russian military in the guise of Donbas fighters to open a new area of military confrontation". Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said he had no knowledge of the incident, and suggested that reports of the incident being an incursion by Russian forces were "disinformation". Directly prior to the appearance of the column, the area was heavily shelled. The nearest insurgent artillery positions were beyond the range of this area. They set up a roadblock near the village. The men wore distinctive white armbands. The Russian military confirmed that these men were Russian paratroopers and that they had been captured. The Russian Defence Ministry said the men had entered Ukraine "by mistake during an exercise". Insurgents pushed into
Novoazovsk on 27 August. Whilst the Ukrainian government said they were in "total control" of Novoazovsk, town mayor Oleg Sidorkin confirmed that the insurgents had captured it. A report by
The New York Times described the retreating soldiers as "exhausted, filthy and dismayed". A statement by the
National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine (NSDC) later said that Novoazovsk had been captured by "Russian troops", despite earlier denials by the Ukrainian government. According to the NSDC, Ukrainian troops withdrew from Novoazovsk to save lives, and were instead preparing defences in
Mariupol. Meanwhile, fighting continued in and around Donetsk city. Shells fell on the
Kalininskyi district of Donetsk, and the
Donbas Battalion continued to fight against the insurgents that had trapped them in
Ilovaisk for days. NATO commander Brig. Gen. Nico Tak said on 28 August that "well over" 1,000 Russian soldiers were operating in the Donbas conflict zone. Amidst what
The New York Times described as "chaos" in the conflict zone, the insurgents re-captured
Savur-Mohyla. However, two days later, Ukrainian forces retreated from the city, and Komsomolske was once again taken by the DPR forces. Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces retreated from
Novosvitlivka after being attacked by what they said were "Russian tanks". They said that every house in the village was destroyed. The trapped
Donbas Battalion withdrew from
Ilovaisk on 30 August after negotiating an agreement with pro-Russian forces. According to some of the troops who withdrew from Ilovaisk, DPR forces violated the agreement and fired on them whilst they retreated under
white flags, killing as many as several dozen. awarding Donbas Battalion volunteers, 1 September 2014 A Ukrainian patrol boat in the
Sea of Azov was hit by shore-based artillery fire on 31 August. Eight sailors were rescued from the sinking boat, whilst two crew-members were missing. Former insurgent commander
Igor Girkin said that the insurgents had "dealt the enemy their first naval defeat". Government forces withdrew from
Luhansk International Airport on 1 September, despite having held the airport from insurgent attacks for weeks prior. The airport saw fierce fighting on the night before the withdrawal, and Ukrainian officials said that their forces at the airport had been attacked by a column of Russian tanks. Clashes also continued at
Donetsk International Airport. Respectively, these villages are and east of Mariupol. Ukrainian officials in Mariupol said that the situation there "was worsening by the hour", and that there was an imminent danger of an attack on the city. They were driven back about east of the city. Constant shelling was heard on the outskirts of Mariupol.
OSCE monitors said they would observe the ceasefire, and assist the Ukrainian government in implementing it. According to
The New York Times, the agreement was an "almost verbatim" replication of Ukrainian president
Petro Poroshenko's failed June "
15-point peace plan". It was agreed that there would be an
exchange of all prisoners taken by both sides, and that heavy weaponry should be removed from the combat zone. Russia started a more robust train and equip operation to strengthen separatists forces. Both parties said that they were satisfied with the ceasefire, and that it was generally holding. The ceasefire was broken multiple times on the night of 6–7 September, and into the day on 7 September. These violations resulted in the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers, whilst 29 were injured. Heavy shelling by the insurgents was reported on the eastern outskirts of Mariupol, and OSCE monitors said that the Ukrainian government had fired rockets from
Donetsk International Airport. The OSCE said that these breaches of the agreement would not cause the ceasefire to collapse. Ceasefire violations continued, however. In line with the Minsk Protocol, OSCE monitors said that they observed a
prisoner exchange near
Avdiivka at 03:40 on 12 September. Ukrainian forces released 31 DPR insurgents, whilst DPR forces released 37 Ukrainian soldiers. OSCE monitors documented violations of the Minsk Protocol in numerous areas of Donetsk Oblast from 13 to 15 September. These areas included
Makiivka, Telmanove,
Debaltseve,
Petrovske, near
Mariupol,
Yasynuvata, and
Donetsk International Airport, all of which saw intense fighting. Two of the armoured vehicles that the monitors were travelling in were struck by shrapnel, rendering one of the vehicles inoperable and forcing the monitors to retreat. They said that the airport was "completely destroyed", and entirely unusable. Ukrainian president
Petro Poroshenko said on 21 September that the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost between 60% and 65% of its total active equipment over the course of the war. Members of the
Trilateral Contact Group and the DPR took part in a video conference on 25 September 2014. According to a statement released by the OSCE on the day after the conference, all parties agreed that the fighting had "subsided in recent days", and that the "situation along 70%" of the buffer zone was "calm". They also said that they would "spare no efforts" to strengthen the ceasefire. A skirmish ensued, leaving many soldiers wounded. Over the next few days,
fighting continued around Donetsk International Airport, whilst Donetsk city itself came under heavy shelling. Amidst this renewed violence, OSCE chairman
Didier Burkhalter issued a statement that "urged all sides to immediately stop fighting", and also said that putting the ceasefire at risk of collapse would be "irresponsible and deplorable". According to a report released by the UN
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on 8 October, the ceasefire implemented by the Minsk Protocol was becoming "increasingly fragile". The statement that announced the release of the report said that at least 331 people had been killed since the start of ceasefire, and that the most fierce fighting took place around
Donetsk International Airport,
Debaltseve, and
Shchastia. The report said that the majority of civilian deaths were caused by both insurgent and Ukrainian shelling. Several hundred
National Guard troops protested outside the Ukrainian
presidential administration building in Kyiv on 13 October. They demanded the end of conscription, and their own demobilisation. In response to the elections, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko asked parliament to revoke the "special status" that was granted to DPR and LPR-controlled areas as part of the Minsk Protocol. DPR deputy prime minister
Andrei Purgin said that Ukrainian forces had launched "all-out war" against the DPR and LPR on 6 November. Ukrainian officials denied any offensive and said that they would adhere to the Minsk Protocol. Despite this, battles continued across the Donbas, leaving many soldiers dead. Concurrently, separatist representatives requested a redraughting of the Minsk Protocol, as a result of recurrent violations.
OSCE monitors reported on 8 November that there were large movements of unmarked heavy equipment in separatist-held territory. These movements included armoured personnel carriers, lorries, petrol tankers, and tanks, which were being manned and escorted by men in dark green uniforms without insignias. Overnight into 9 November, intense shelling from both government and insurgent positions rocked Donetsk. OSCE monitors observed more munitions convoys in separatist-held territory on 9 November. These included 17 unmarked green
ZiL lorries loaded with ammunition at
Sverdlovsk, and 17 similar
Kamaz lorries towing howitzers at
Zuhres. Another convoy of 43 green military lories, some towing howitzers and rocket launchers, was observed by OSCE monitors in Donetsk on 11 November. , 26 November 2014 Following the reports of these troop and equipment movements, NATO
General Philip Breedlove said on 12 November that he could confirm that Russian troops and heavy equipment had crossed into Ukraine during the preceding week. In response, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said that it was preparing for a renewed offensive by pro-Russian forces. Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General
Igor Konashenkov said "there was and is no evidence" to support NATO's statement. A BBC report said that the ceasefire had been "a fiction". In light of this continued fighting, Ukrainian and separatist forces agreed to cease all military operations for a "Day of Silence" on 9 December. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said that he hoped that the "Day of Silence" would encourage the signing of a new peace deal. Whilst no new peace talks took place following the "Day of Silence", fighting between Ukrainian and separatist forces lessened significantly over the course of December. A report by the
International Crisis Group stated that the late 2014
financial crisis in Russia, in tandem with
American and European economic sanctions, deterred further advances by pro-Russian forces. The report also raised concerns about the potential for "humanitarian catastrophe" in separatist-controlled Donbas during the cold winter months, saying that the separatists were unable "to provide basic services for the population". In line with the
Minsk Protocol, more prisoner exchanges took place during the week of 21–27 December. More OSCE-organised talks were held in
Minsk during that week, but they reached no result. In a press conference on 29 December, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said that the Minsk Protocol was becoming effective "point by point", and also said that "progress" was being made. Since the signing of the Protocol, over 1,500 people held by the separatists had been released as part of the prisoner exchanges. Whereas Ukrainian forces had been losing about 100 men per day prior to the Protocol, only about 200 had been killed in the four months since its signing. Poroshenko also said that he believed that conflict would only end if Russian troops were to leave Donbas. Numerous ceasefire violations were recorded, with most occurring near
Donetsk International Airport. Infighting amongst insurgent groups broke out in Luhansk Oblast. In one incident, LPR militants said that they had killed
Alexander Bednov, the leader of the pro-Russian "Batman Battalion", on 2 January 2015. LPR officials said that Bednov had been running an "illegal prison", and that he had engaged in torturing prisoners. In another incident, the leader of an
Antratsyt-based
Don Cossack militant group, Nikolai Kozitsyn, said that the territory controlled by his group, claimed by the Luhansk People's Republic, had become part of the "Russian empire", and that Russian president Vladimir Putin was its "emperor". Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko declared a day of national mourning. Buhas is south-west of Donetsk city. commander
Arseny Pavlov, Donetsk, 25 December 2014 The new terminal building at
Donetsk International Airport, which had been a site of fighting between Ukrainian and separatist troops since May 2014, was captured by the DPR forces on 15 January. In the days prior to the capturing, the airport was heavily barraged by separatist rocket fire. DPR leader
Alexander Zakharchenko stated that the capture of the airport was the first step toward regaining territory lost to Ukrainian forces during the middle of 2014. He said "Let our countrymen hear this: We will not just give up our land. We will either take it back peacefully, or like that", referring to the capture of the airport. Ukrainian forces said that there had been "no order to retreat" from the airport, and DPR parliament chairman
Andrey Purgin said that while DPR forces had gained control of the terminal buildings, fighting was ongoing because "the Ukrainians have lots of places to hide". Concurrently, a new round of Minsk talks, scheduled for 16 January by the
Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, was called off after DPR and LPR leaders
Alexander Zakharchenko and
Igor Plotnitsky refused to attend. A government military operation at the weekend of 17–18 January resulted in Ukrainian forces recapturing most of Donetsk International Airport. According to
Ukrainian NSDC representative Andriy Lysenko, the operation restored the lines of control established by the
Minsk Protocol, and therefore did not constitute a violation of it. The operation caused fighting to move toward Donetsk proper, resulting in heavy shelling of residential areas of the city that border the airport. The bridge, which is strategically important, was destroyed during the fighting. OSCE monitors reported that shelling had caused heavy damage in the Donetsk residential districts of
Kyivskyi,
Kirovskyi,
Petrovskyi, and
Voroshilovskyi. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on 21 January that Russia had deployed more than 9,000 soldiers and 500 tanks, artillery units, and armoured personnel carriers in the Donbas. An article that appeared in
The Daily Telegraph said that deployment appeared to be "a response to Kyiv's success" in retaining control of Donetsk International Airport. On the same day, Ukrainian forces attempted to surround the airport in an attempt to push back the insurgents. As Ukrainian and DPR forces fought away from the airport, a group of insurgents stormed the first and third floors of the new terminal building. Ukrainian troops held out on the second floor of the building until the ceiling collapsed, killing several soldiers. Following this victory, separatist forces began to attack Ukrainian forces along the line of control in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Particularly heavy fighting broke out along the
Siverskyi Donets River, to the north-west of
Luhansk city. Separatist forces captured a Ukrainian checkpoint at Krymske, attacked other checkpoints in the area, and shelled villages near
Shchastia. Separatist forces began
an assault on the government-controlled town of
Debaltseve in north-eastern Donetsk Oblast, barraging it with artillery fire. The DPR launched
an attack on Mariupol from
Shyrokyne during the morning of 24 January. A hail of Grad rockets killed at least 30 people, and wounded another 83. Heavy fighting
continued in Debaltseve over the next week, resulting in many civilian and combatant casualties. French president
François Hollande and German chancellor
Angela Merkel put forth a new peace plan on 7 February. The Franco-German plan, drawn up after talks with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko and Russian president Vladimir Putin, was seen as a revival of the
Minsk Protocol. President Hollande said that the plan was the "last chance" for resolution of the conflict. The plan was put forth in response to American proposals to send armaments to the Ukrainian government, something that Chancellor Merkel said would only result in a worsening of the crisis. Fighting worsened in the run-up to the scheduled 11 February talks to discuss the Franco-German peace plan. DPR forces shelled the city of
Kramatorsk on 10 February, which had last seen fighting in July 2014. The shelling targeted the city's Armed Forces headquarters, but also hit a nearby residential area. Seven people were killed, while 26 were wounded. The pro-government
Azov Battalion launched
an offensive to recapture separatist-controlled areas on the outskirts of Mariupol, centred on the village of Shyrokyne. Battalion commander
Andriy Biletsky said his forces were moving toward
Novoazovsk. == Static war (2015–2022) ==