Donetsk International Airport

Development since the 1990s

In the 1990s, Donetsk Airport experienced a number of criminal incidents. On November 3, 1996, a group of assassins opened indiscriminate fire at the plane of prominent local businessman Yevhen Shcherban as passengers disembarked on the apron. Shcherban and his wife were killed, together with an airport ground technician and the plane's flight engineer.

In accordance with the program of Donetsk for Euro 2012 in 2011, the Ukrainian construction company "Altcom" constructed a new airport terminal, which had been developed by experts from Croatia. The airline Donbassaero had its head office located at the airport, but ceased operations in January 2013.

2014–15 conflict

On 26 May 2014, pro-Russian rebels seized the airport soon after Petro Poroshenko won the 2014 Ukrainian presidential election. In response, Ukrainian forces launched air attacks to regain control of it from the rebels. Two civilians and 38 combatants were reported dead, and the Ukrainian military regained control of the airport. Service at the airport has not resumed since the battle.

On 1 October 2014, pro-Russian rebels attempted to retake the airport. A spokesman for what the Ukrainian government calls its anti-terrorist operation said Ukrainian forces repelled four attacks on the airport that evening. A T-64 tank was destroyed and seven rebels were killed, Vladyslav Seleznyov told Kanal 5 TV. A reporter for Associated Press in Donetsk said on October 1 that there were indications that the government had lost control of the airport. Rebel-leader Alexander Zakharchenko said it was "95%" under separatist control. Ukrainian officials insisted the airport was still under government control as of October 2014.

Rebel forces claimed to have taken complete control of the airport on 17 January 2015, after a series of battles with pro-government forces over the complex. One day later it was reported that government forces claimed to have retaken almost all parts of the airport lost to rebels in recent weeks, after a mass operation during the night. On 21 January, Ukrainian forces admitted losing control of the airport to the Donetsk People's Republic rebels.

Over the course of battles for the airport, the airport complex suffered extensive damage from constant bombardments and change of hand between pro-government and rebel forces. The main terminal buildings, with their sturdy concrete construction, served as garrisons and shelters for soldiers defending the airport grounds, and as a result the buildings would be subjected to attacks and suffer extensive structural failures, most notably with the collapse of the massive roof over the new terminal building's mezzanine. Similarly, the control tower was contested by opposing forces due to its strategic lookout point, but eventually collapsed in January 2015 during the final leg of the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport.

Since the fighting, the ruins of the airport have been cleared of rubble, leaving behind the concrete shells of the new terminal building and adjoining parking garage.

Airlines and destinations

All civilian airline operations including Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Aeroflot and flydubai were suspended due to armed conflict in May 2014, and the airport's facilities were subsequently completely destroyed.

Accidents and incidents