More than 9,000 people have been killed during the Ukraine conflict, the UN on Wednesday said as it warned that serious human rights violations persist though there has been a significant reduction in hostilities. “The reporting period was marked by considerable decrease in hostilities. This was the result of the revamped ceasefire agreed in Minsk on 26 August this year and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the conflict area,” said Gianni Magazzeni, Chief of OHCHR.
“Though the hostilities have not ceased completely and the withdrawal requires permanent control by the OSCE [Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine], shelling of populated areas has decreased dramatically. The number of civilian casualties especially those caused by shelling has also significantly dropped,” Magazzeni added.