Security situation in Donbas remains fragile – UN mission

Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine Matilda Bogner stated this while presenting a report on the human rights situation in Ukraine between 16 November 2019 and 15 February 2020, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Despite the gradual decrease in the number of civilian casualties, the security situation in the conflict zone remains unstable and fragile. And according to the surge in hostilities recorded in January and February, the ceasefire continues to be violated on both sides of the contact line," she said.

Bogner added that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on all parties involved in the hostilities in Donetsk and Luhansk regions to strictly adhere to the ceasefire and security provisions of the Minsk agreements and to ‘unlimited’ ceasefire agreed within the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk.

"We urge to take all possible measures to minimize harm to the civilian population, including by positioning military objects outside of densely populated areas, and refraining from deliberately targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, such as water facilities and power lines," she noted.

As Ukrinform reported, over the past three months, OHCHR recorded two civilian deaths and 17 civilian injuries as a result of the conflict in Donbas.

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