Ukraine's auto sales plunge 76 pct in January amid intense fighting

Ukraine's total motor vehicle sales in January plunged 76 percent year-on-year to 2,597 units, an industry body said Tuesday, another sign that protracted fighting in the country's east is taking a heavy toll on the economy.

In January, the number of new car registrations dropped by 66 percent, or 5,032 vehicles compared with the figure of December 2014, the Ukravtoprom Analysis Group said in a report.

Japan's Nissan was the most popular brand of car last month, with its models representing a total of 13 percent of all sales. France's Renault and Czech Republic's Skoda followed, accounting for 8 percent and 7.4 percent of market shares respectively, the report said.

In 2014, a total of 97,020 new vehicles were sold in Ukraine, down 54.5 percent from a year earlier. This is the worst performance of the country's car market in 12 years.

Fighting flared up in various cities of eastern Ukraine after a ceasefire agreement reached in September in Minsk eroded. It is reported that forces indiscriminately shelled residential areas in both government-controlled territories and rebel-held cities, inflicting heavy civilian casualties.

The United Nations said Tuesday that since mid-April, at least 5,358 people, including civilians and fighters, were killed and another 12,235 injured.

The Ukrainian government predicted the country's economy will shrink 4.3 percent this year after contracting 7.5 percent in 2014. Endite