Off the wire
• Feature: Chinese-born Japanese cleaner rises to fame with extraordinary craftswomanship  • News Analysis: Venezuela's recall referendum: 2016, 2017 or never?  • Aussie police making more drug seizures, arrests than ever before: data  • Market exchange rates in China -- Aug.4  • Xinhua China news advisory -- Aug. 4  • Chinese yuan weakens to 6.6444 against USD Thursday  • Security drones may be used at Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia  • China treasury bond futures open mixed Thursday  • Chinese shares open lower Thursday  • China Hushen 300 index futures open higher Thursday  
You are here: 　 Home

Civilian casualties in E. Ukraine hit new high: UN report

Xinhua, August 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Civilian casualties caused by the conflict in eastern Ukraine in June and July this year hit a new high since August 2015, said a UN report issued on Wednesday.

There were 12 deaths and 57 injuries among noncombatants in June in the conflict area, while eight were killed and 65 others wounded in July, according to the report.

The rise in noncombatant victims was driven by an escalation of hostilities, with most casualties caused by shelling, it said.

"The many casualties we have documented in recent weeks suggest that neither Ukrainian forces nor the armed groups are taking the necessary precautions to protect civilians," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al-Hussein was quoted as saying.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed some 9,553 people and wounded 22,137 others since it began in April 2014, the report said.

Hostilities had eased since September 2015, but the conflict flared up again in May 2016 as government troops and pro-independence insurgents failed to find common ground over local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Endi