Moscow shares UN concern over high civilian death toll from Kiev's military strikes in east Ukraine

Moscow shares UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay’s concern over numerous civilian deaths in Donetsk and Lugansk as a result of an ongoing military operation waged by Kiev against southeastern Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.  

Earlier, Pillay circulated a statement saying the UN has information that Ukrainian troops use anti-personnel mines which have already claimed several lives.

The Office UN Commissioner for Human Rights has received lots of alarming reports about deaths in Ukraine’s Lugansk and Donetsk regions, including a five-year-old girl, during an intensive military operation launched on June 30 hours after the end of the ceasefire, Pillay said.

"The UN has at last paid attention to the death of children, to the dangerous situation they have been in because of the actions of Ukrainian troops. Orphaned children are particularly vulnerable. Such deeds on the part of Kiev are a blatant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law… We share the High Commissioner’s concern over numerous civilian deaths, including among children, in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions as a result of Kiev’s military operation in the east of the country," the ministry said.

As Kiev intensifies its so-called "anti-terrorist" operation, the rising civilian death toll makes it no longer possible for the Ukrainian authorities to silence the real scope of the tragedy, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"We support the UN High Commissioner’s call on the Ukrainian government to investigate every murder and bring the criminals to account. We support Pillay’s call on both sides to lay down arms and begin dialogue in line with the joint declaration passed by the foreign ministers of Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France on July 2," the ministry said.
[voiceofrussia.com]
5/7/14
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****Following the end of the ceasefire on 30 June, the UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine has reported numerous cases of death of people in the country's eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk who are caught in the middle of the ongoing security operations, Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned today.

“We have received numerous alarming reports of deaths in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, including the killing of a five-year-old girl, due to the intensified security operations taking place since the ceasefire ended on Monday," she said, citing reports of the use of landmines, which allegedly led to three deaths and left several people injured.........................UN rights chief urges all sides in eastern Ukraine to 'turn away from destructive path'...
5/7/14