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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian aviation administration bans flights to Donetsk

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Battles underway on Donetsk outskirts

KIEV, May 28. /ITAR-TASS/. The State Aviation Administration of Ukraine has indefinitely extended the restrictions imposed on flights to Sergey Prokofyev International Airport in Donetsk on May 26 in connection with a force operation, says Denis Antonyuk, spokesman for the Ukrainian State Aviation Administration.

"Experts have been examining the aeronavigation infrastructure of the airport. The situation at the airport is not clear yet. Experts have not yet examined all the runways yet. One must make sure that everything is in order there. The airport workers have been evacuated because the situation remains unsafe," the press service quoted Antonyuk as saying.

On Sunday night representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic arrived at Donetsk airport and demanded to pull out the Ukrainian military from the airport territory. On Monday morning Ukrainian army units launched a force operation in the rebel territory, using combat aircraft. The airport had to suspend flights as of 7.00 am Monday.

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