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Russia claims to take control of Hostomel airport just outside Kyiv
A local resident walks in a street as smoke rises near the town of Hostomel and the Antonov Airport, in northwest Kyiv on February 24, 2022. (Daniel LEAL / AFP)
The Russian military says it has taken control of a strategic airport just outside the Ukrainian capital and cut Kyiv off from the west.
The airport in Hostomel has a long runway capable of accommodating heavy transport planes. Its seizure allows Russia to airlift troops directly to Kyiv’s outskirts. Hostomel is just 7 kilometers (4 miles) northwest of Kyiv.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov says that the Russian airborne forces used 200 helicopters to land in Hostomel.
