Donetsk International Airport
Donetsk Sergei Prokofiev International Airport () is a former airport located northwest of Donetsk, Ukraine, that was destroyed in 2014 during the war in Donbas. It was built in the 1940s and 1950s and rebuilt in 1973 and again from 2011-12. The airport is named after twentieth-century composer Sergei Prokofiev, who was a native of Donetsk Oblast. History. Development until 2014. 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, fighters from the Donetsk People's Republic, with technical assistance from Russian mercenaries, 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 belligerents. 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, the belligerents 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 Donetsk fighters 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. DNR leader Alexander Zakharchenko said it was "95%" under his forces’ control. Ukrainian officials insisted the airport was still under government control as of October 2014. Zakharchenko claimed that the rebels had 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 the belligerents 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 proxy 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 were subjected to attacks and suffered extensive structural failures, most notably the collapse of the massive roof over the new terminal building's mezzanine. Similarly, the control tower was contested by opposing forces as a 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, LOT Polish Airlines, Air Berlin, Aeroflot and flydubai were suspended due to armed conflict in May 2014, and the airport's facilities were subsequently completely destroyed.