Ukraine’s troops have recaptured an airport on the outskirts of Kyiv from the Russians, just hours after losing it, in a major blow to Vladimir Putin.
The nation’s National Guard shared a photo of three soldiers holding a bullet-riddled Ukrainian flag, calling them the heroes of the battle.
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It came just hours after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordered compulsory enlistment and banned all men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country.
Antonov Airport near the town of Hostomel, 20 miles from Kyiv, is seen as crucial to Russia’s invasion strategy, just outside the capital.
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However, despite elite Russian airborne forces capturing the airport, by Friday, Ukraine’s government declared they had seized it back.
Deputy Minister, Anton Herashchenko made the announcement, according to The Kyiv Independent.
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Ukraine’s National Guard tweeted a photo of three young soldiers holding up a Ukrainian flag filled with bullet holes.
It wrote;
Guardsmen with their flag, torn to pieces after today’s battle. Congratulations to all of you and say that we will win!
The battle for control of the airport was captured in astonishing footage obtained by CNN, when their reporter, Matthew Chance, drove to the town of Hostomel – 20 miles from the center of Kyiv.
CNN’s Matthew Chance reports from an airbase outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, where Russian airborne troops are engaged in a fire fight with the Ukrainian military https://t.co/TaPomIUP26 pic.twitter.com/rSye7nzmbi
— CNN (@CNN) February 24, 2022
Hostomel, home to the Antonov Airport, is seen as a vital staging point for Russian invaders due to its proximity to the capital.
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Chance spoke to some of the soldiers there, assuming they were Ukrainian, and was shocked when they told him they were Russian airborne troops.
The airborne units are considered elite forces, specially selected for their skill and ability to parachute in during the initial attack.
However, despite the recapture of the airport, Russia has made gains elsewhere, reportedly encircling the city of Konotop in eastern Ukraine as they head towards Kyiv.
