UN: Number of civilian victims of the war in the Donbas is the highest since August 2015
The number of civilian victims in the Donbas has reached its highest point since August 2015, as stated in the latest report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs which was made public on Friday, 8 July. According to the UN, in June, clashes continued in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. Just this month 12 people were killed and another 57 were injured in the Donbas.
As noted in the report, most victims were injured by artillery shells, as attacks were carried out using artillery systems prohibited by the Minsk Agreements. According to the UN, in total, since the beginning of the conflict in eastern Ukraine 9,470 people have been killed, of whom about 2,000 were civilians. Another 21,880 people have been injured.
Earlier, on 1 July, the European Union extended economic sanctions against Russia. Penalties have been imposed since the summer of 2014 due to the Kremlin’s interference in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The European Union insists that sanctions can only be lifted if Russia implements the Minsk Agreements.