Donetsk International Airport area,
Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine:
The fight for the Donetsk airport, hammered out through two distinct battles between May 2014 and January 2015, illustrates that violent battles of attrition still loom large in the modern wars of the Information Age. Additionally, the contest illustrates the lengths to which the Russian Federation is willing to go to maintain its strategic and operational interests in Ukraine.
The battles served as the sinew between Russia’s summer and winter offensives; these offensives were initiated to preserve Russia’s proxy forces: the Donetsk People’s Army and the Luhansk People’s Army, and to destroy Ukrainian offensive capabilities. Consequently, these battles were catalysts for the winter offensive’s decisiveness in the campaign.
These images are not in the direct order of either battle as it they took place.
1. Donetsk Airport, completed in 2012.
2.
3. The airport's air traffic control tower, which was eventually levelled as it was used as a spotter location for the Ukrainians.
4.
5. The battle begins with Ukrainian Government Forces moving in to dislodge the DPR insurgents, who took the airport on May 26, 2014.
6.
7. Ukrainian Forces at the airport.
8.
9.
10.
The struggle for the Donetsk airport illustrates Russia’s effectiveness in deploying forces from every corner of the Federation, rapidly training those forces and feeding them into battle.
The conflict also served as excellent training ground for Russian tank, infantry and artillery formations, and, as part of a larger campaign, provided the opportunity for 47 percent of Russian land forces to gain indispensable combat experience—a point that must not be taken for granted. In the end, these battles resulted in a pulverized airport, in the Ukrainian army being blunted and defeated and in Russia being able to maintain access and influence in eastern Ukraine.
11.
12.
13.
14. Ukrainian soldiers spotting for snipers.
15. Ukrainian fighter.
16. Same ^.
16. Damaged Ukrainian armoured equipment inside the airport.
17. Ukrainians evac'ing wounded and receiving ammo and supplies.
18.
20. A DRP fighter.
During the battle, the word Cyborg was used to refer to the Ukrainian defenders of the airport. The term was taken from intercepted radio communications of DPR forces referring to Ukrainians as "some kind of cyborgs sitting in there," published on YouTube. It refers to the way that the airport defenders were able to fend off constant attacks by DPR forces in close quarters with little sleep or support, just as science-fiction cyborgs are "indestructible half-men, half-machines", or "superhuman".
21. DRP forces.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26. Better days.
27. KIA Ukrainian soldiers.
28. Knocked out armor on the tarmac.
29.
30. KIA Ukrainian.
26. This and the rest are KIA Ukrainian defenders.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
In late February 2015, the DRP rounded up around 20 pale-looking Ukrainian POW's in the ruins of the airport terminal. The captured Ukrainian soldiers had been brought into the ruins of the airport and ordered to hunt for the dead bodies of their comrades under pieces of concrete, which they did.
35. DPR forces.
36. Ukrainian POW's getting ready to recover bodies from the airport's rubble.
37. POW's searching.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46. DPR forces directing the recovery.
47.
48.
49.
50. Russian artillery had collapsed part of the airport's roof, under which were most of the Ukrainian defenders.
52.
53.
FINI
Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine:
The fight for the Donetsk airport, hammered out through two distinct battles between May 2014 and January 2015, illustrates that violent battles of attrition still loom large in the modern wars of the Information Age. Additionally, the contest illustrates the lengths to which the Russian Federation is willing to go to maintain its strategic and operational interests in Ukraine.
The battles served as the sinew between Russia’s summer and winter offensives; these offensives were initiated to preserve Russia’s proxy forces: the Donetsk People’s Army and the Luhansk People’s Army, and to destroy Ukrainian offensive capabilities. Consequently, these battles were catalysts for the winter offensive’s decisiveness in the campaign.
These images are not in the direct order of either battle as it they took place.
1. Donetsk Airport, completed in 2012.
2.
3. The airport's air traffic control tower, which was eventually levelled as it was used as a spotter location for the Ukrainians.
4.
5. The battle begins with Ukrainian Government Forces moving in to dislodge the DPR insurgents, who took the airport on May 26, 2014.
6.
7. Ukrainian Forces at the airport.
8.
9.
10.
The struggle for the Donetsk airport illustrates Russia’s effectiveness in deploying forces from every corner of the Federation, rapidly training those forces and feeding them into battle.
The conflict also served as excellent training ground for Russian tank, infantry and artillery formations, and, as part of a larger campaign, provided the opportunity for 47 percent of Russian land forces to gain indispensable combat experience—a point that must not be taken for granted. In the end, these battles resulted in a pulverized airport, in the Ukrainian army being blunted and defeated and in Russia being able to maintain access and influence in eastern Ukraine.
11.
12.
13.
14. Ukrainian soldiers spotting for snipers.
15. Ukrainian fighter.
16. Same ^.
16. Damaged Ukrainian armoured equipment inside the airport.
17. Ukrainians evac'ing wounded and receiving ammo and supplies.
18.
20. A DRP fighter.
During the battle, the word Cyborg was used to refer to the Ukrainian defenders of the airport. The term was taken from intercepted radio communications of DPR forces referring to Ukrainians as "some kind of cyborgs sitting in there," published on YouTube. It refers to the way that the airport defenders were able to fend off constant attacks by DPR forces in close quarters with little sleep or support, just as science-fiction cyborgs are "indestructible half-men, half-machines", or "superhuman".
21. DRP forces.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26. Better days.
27. KIA Ukrainian soldiers.
28. Knocked out armor on the tarmac.
29.
30. KIA Ukrainian.
26. This and the rest are KIA Ukrainian defenders.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
In late February 2015, the DRP rounded up around 20 pale-looking Ukrainian POW's in the ruins of the airport terminal. The captured Ukrainian soldiers had been brought into the ruins of the airport and ordered to hunt for the dead bodies of their comrades under pieces of concrete, which they did.
35. DPR forces.
36. Ukrainian POW's getting ready to recover bodies from the airport's rubble.
37. POW's searching.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46. DPR forces directing the recovery.
47.
48.
49.
50. Russian artillery had collapsed part of the airport's roof, under which were most of the Ukrainian defenders.
52.
53.
FINI
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