Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) regards a statement by Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration Serhiy Taruta regarding the possibility of exchanging the Donetsk airport for a portion of territory in the region as part of the election campaign.

"Given that the governor is taking part in the elections, we regard this as part of a political campaign," NSDC spokesman Andriy Lysenko said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.

"I can also say that there is no surname Taruta among the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) leadership. Only the ATO leadership is authorized to decide on whether to leave some facilities and on the movements of troops," he added.

Lysenko said that the Donetsk airport would remain under Ukrainian control.

"Paratroopers and infantrymen from two brigades, who serve at the airport, are brilliantly performing their duties and are holding this place. They are great heroes, who have already been bombarded with hundreds of tonnes of shells and rockets, and dozens of attacks by Russian special forces and terrorists," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the so-called "prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic," Alexander Zakharchenko, said DPR militants had occupied a significant part of the airport - 90% of the territory.

Zakharchenko also told reporters that "there will be no exchange of territories with [incumbent Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration Serhiy] Taruta."

Earlier media reported about a possible exchange of the Donetsk airport for Novoazovsk, and later the media reported, citing Taruta, that the Donetsk airport was to be exchanged for the areas adjacent to Donetsk.