Landmines peppered around Mariupol airport, devastated by intense Russia-Ukraine crossfire

The port city of Mariupol in Donetsk has been devastated by intense fighting over the past few days, with huge damage seen at the city's airport, which is seen as a strategic location by both sides in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The airport had been closed since 2014 and put under control by the Donetsk army and Russian military recently after an intensified offensive. It was used as an unofficial base for Ukraine's National Guard, security department and Azov volunteer militia in recent years, according to Russian media.

Dmitriy Maslak, a CGTN correspondent, visited the site on Monday and witnessed the scale of destruction in the area. Even getting to this location was not easy, as the main roads leading to the terminal were littered with mines.

"This is the highway to Mariupol airport. We had to go around the other side through a settlement. Because according to the military, mines have been buried here. We're on the other route to the terminal right now. We can see a battle
took place here not long ago. This looks like a civilian vehicle with a body in civilian clothing next to it. I think it's a male body," he said.

"This is the way to the terminal and there's a row of mines. I counted there are 17 mines. There's no way to get to that car from here. In addition to the craters, we see mines buried in the ground. There's no choice but to get out of the car and walk between the mines like this," he said.

The area is now quiet after the recent battles, with neither residents nor military personnel nearby except one small kitten who was left behind and wandering around.

Maslak made his way inside the main airport building to survey the damage.

"Look at the 'arrival' sign. We have entered the main terminal of Mariupol airport. Fortunately, the arrivals floor was not hit. This is different from other cities where bombings and crossfires are still underway, only glass broken here," he said.

Mariupol airport had served as the main transportation hub in the southern Donetsk region until 2014. From inside the hall, the noises of shelling and bombing going off in the city can be heard in the distance.

Maslak explained how it appears the airport had been used as a major military outpost.

"We are now on the second floor of the terminal, on the balcony of an airline's Representative Office which was converted into a barracks by former armed men. The office of the former director of the airport authority was converted into a room for intelligence personnel of the Ukrainian security service. Generally speaking, they have been stationed here for a long time. There is also a food warehouse and a canteen. Judging from it, they had planned to stay for a long time because the food reserve is very considerable," he said.

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