Ukraine pays tribute to soldiers who died in draining battles for Donetsk Airport in 2014
On January 20, Ukraine honors the Day of Remembrance of Donetsk Airport Defenders, known as "Cyborgs."
The All-Ukrainian Day of Remembrance was established on the initiative of Ukrainian soldiers who defended this strategic facility for 242 days.
Ukrainian troops were called "cyborgs" by Russian-linked terrorist groups for their resilience, fearlessness, and invincibility.
The outpost became a symbol of Ukrainian courage, a stronghold of their spirit.
"The cyborgs stayed strong, the concrete did not," is a phrase that went down in history along with the feat of the Ukrainian soldiers.
The battle for the strategic facility lasted 242 days, from May 26, 2014 to January 22, 2015. The Ukrainian army and volunteers held the defense of the airport buildings and controlled the surrounding villages.
The war for Donetsk airport began on May 26, 2014, when pro-Russian terrorists and Chechen militants seized the airport buildings in the then-peaceful Donetsk.
January 2015 saw the bloodiest and fiercest fighting. On January 3, as a result of constant massive tank and artillery shelling by militants, the control tower collapsed, and its image became a symbol of the airport's defense. The fighting continued for the floors of the new terminal.
On January 15, 2015, a new phase of defense of Donetsk airport began. Before the arrival of the OSCE mission, terrorists shelled the new airport terminal and came close to Ukrainian positions.
That day, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the battle for the airport. During the assault on the airport by the enemy, Pskov paratroopers lost more than 130 people.
On January 18-20, the Ukrainian military held the ground floor, while the basement and upper floors were controlled by the enemy.
The militants, taking advantage of the ceasefire to evacuate their dead and wounded, mined the building's ceilings and blew them up.
In those days, 58 "cyborgs" were killed in the bombing. to official figures, about 100 soldiers died defending Donetsk airport.
On January 21, 2015, Ukrainian soldiers were ordered to withdraw from the new terminal, as the facility was completely destroyed and not suitable for defense.
According to new official figures, more than 200 soldiers were killed defending Donetsk airport.
On December 7, 2017, the Ukrainian film Cyborgs was released, which became an absolute Ukrainian record holder in domestic cinema for the entire period of independence.
There was a real cyborg starring in the movie, call sign "Bohemia" or Andrii Sharaskin.
Many of them were recognized with state awards, some of them posthumously.
On the initiative of the cyborgs themselves, since 2018, the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Donetsk Airport has been commemorated on January 16 (rarely on January 20 or 21) in different cities of Ukraine.
On January 20, 2022, to promote military and patriotic education, honor the feat of military personnel, volunteers and volunteers who defended Donetsk Airport from the Russian troops, and continue the best military traditions, a joint Order of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine established the Day of Remembrance of the Defenders of Donetsk Airport to be celebrated annually on January 20.
