The Donetsk airport became the Ukrainian Stalingrad. There, at the airport, literally words color of the Ukrainian nation gathered. Intelligent, balanced, reasonable persons who distinctly realized as for what do.

The press photographer of Los Angeles Times Sergey Loyko who got a prestigious American award for reportings on war in Ukraine told about it in the interview of gordonua.com. The American journalist told about the most impressive, the heroic and terrifying moments of fight for the Donetsk airport which he happened to see, a Censor.NET

"Cyborgs held the Donetsk airport 242 days. It couldn't be protected. Than earlier would blow up these buildings and a strip, the quicker would leave from there, the more invaluable lives would manage to be saved. It was that Ukrainian Stalingrad. Defenders of the airport solved what exactly depends on them destiny of the country. Their courage was transferred to commanders. This epic resistance. There, at the airport, literally words color of the Ukrainian nation gathered. Intelligent, balanced, reasonable persons who distinctly realized as for what do", - Loyko declared.

"I quickly found a common language with all cyborgs, they allowed themselves to photograph. And this, such beautiful, high, broad-shouldered, lean blonde with blue eyes told me: "You don't remove me, the uncle Seryozha. I superstitious. I have a bride. I want to come back home". And it only then was lost", - the journalist remembers.

"Andrey asked not to photograph it. I removed it sideways and behind that the person didn't get to a shot. It only who then was lost". Photo: Sergey Loyko

"He was wounded by two bullets of caliber of 12,7 mm which are let out from a machine gun "Rock". From such Porechenkov shot. One bullet got to a hip, the second - to a stomach. It occurred in the old terminal. And it was possible to evacuate wounded only from the new. The armored troop-carrier didn't approach the old - there attack from three parties, so, the risk of loss of equipment and people is high. Then decided to evacuate on a stretcher. For this purpose it was necessary to run 150 meters on a take-off field. The strip represented the space bent by shells where iron fragments lay, the weapon, the broken equipment, here and there extensions are put... And couple of children - they are real heroes - so wanted to rescue Andrey, laid him on a stretcher and rushed off on this dreadful field", - the photographer told.

"I in the childhood several times dreamed such dream (now I understand why) as if I run on a bog which teems with snakes. I understand: only for a second I will stop, I will be bitten. The fear, thirst of life, despair drive me forward, and I run on balls of snakes with an awful speed. I absolutely forgot this dream, and at the Donetsk airport on that take-off field remembered. Itself I passed from the new terminal in old and back. I went at night, but it didn't do a campaign less dangerous - fierce firing with nightfall didn't stop. And guys, overcoming all obstacles, ran in the afternoon with a stretcher on which the big wounded person lay. Shot at them...", - he added.

"Andrey was taken away on an armored troop-carrier in hospital. He bled to big death on the operating table. One of these cyborgs told then me: "I run at a fearful rate, but it seems to me that hardly I move. I not that hear, and I see each bullet which is flying by at me before eyes, sideways, at the left, on the right". And it not inventions. Such minutes all feelings so become aggravated that the brain perceives the events as in slow motion (slow-motion shot)", - Loyko emphasized.

"In the destroyed old terminal of opponents the wall divided. In one part there were Ukrainian soldiers, in another - enemies. In a wall there were many holes through which it was possible to see all events at the opponent, to shoot. Then and this wall fell.

"Dance of death". Photo: Sergey Loyko

"There was a terrible firefight. At a window three cyborgs. Round them bullets constantly hit into walls and a ceiling. They shot in attacking which just about will go to approach. And didn't even notice that I was near. At this moment the opponent let out a mine. Fighters stood...
The mine flies one-two seconds. I, as well as they, heard the accruing sound of the coming nearer shell. This whistle filled all space and became everything in my life. It could be the last heard sound... Guys fossilated, couldn't move a little and tried to define where it flies. When the mine became torn for a brustver, they suddenly began to argue briskly that if you hear a sound, the shell means will fly by by. And then bethought and again opened fire at the opponent. This photo reminds me a cloth of the artist Caravaggio. Such theatrical poses. All three eyes are turned in one party, and in everyone - not fear, but hope, intense expectation, and youthful passion", - the photographer remembers.

"Flight of a bumblebee". Photo: Sergey Loyko

"Very rare moment and shot. This soldier isn't wounded and not killed. He simply slept. And around there was a terrible fight. Lumps fell from walls and a ceiling, bullets penetrated all building. In this shot - utter chaos and an incommensurability occurring. In total around, made of a stone and iron, it is destroyed. And only one person from blood and a flesh sleeps peacefully", - Loyko explained.

"To death four steps". Photo: Sergey Loyko

Source: http://censor.net.ua/