UN: 'Ukraine's Conflict Claims Over 6,400 lives

(Vatican Radio) The United Nations' human rights office says the number of people killed in more than a year of fighting in eastern Ukraine has risen to over 6,400. Monday's announcement came while officials on both sides said at least two civilians and three Ukrainian troops died in clashes since Sunday, despite a ceasefire agreement. 

Click to listen to correspondent Stefan Bos’ report:

The U.N. said at least 6,417 people were killed and 15,962 wounded between April last year and Saturday. That's already hundreds more than figures given in mid-April when it reported 6,116 dead and 15,474 wounded. Despite a ceasefire agreement fighting has worsened in recent weeks. And the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, said there are "alarming reports of summary executions by armed groups". He added in a statement that his office is "looking into similar allegations against Ukrainian armed forces." 

PRISONERS TORTURED

The official has also expressed concerns about what he calls "horrific accounts of torture and ill-treatment in detention" by both sides. However the death toll given by the U.N. seems already be outdated. Rebels said at least two civilians were killed and five injured in shelling on Sunday. One of them died in the village of Shyrokyne, an epicenter of fighting in the recent weeks, and another in the town of Horlivka. Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko in Kiev added that three Ukrainian troops were killed in fighting and four injured "in the past 24 hours". Two other Ukrainian soldiers were reportedly captured outside the village of Maryinka. Now, a government soldier watches through his rifle on the frontline in eastern Ukraine near the port city of Mariupol. He appears anxious. 

POOR WEAPONS

And not without reason. "The weaponry is very bad, if the government wants to keep this city, they should give us more resources, pay more attention and invest more in Mariupol and its defenders" soldier Olga told Euronews television.  "It’s a very important city in a strategic location. We’re waiting for more help and decisions from the government.” Fellow soldier “Sedoy” is convinced that Russian troops are stationed in the nearby town of Shyrokine. “They [the pro-Russians] made a rotation, Chechens were pulled out of Shyrokine and Russians were deployed there. Thanks to radio scanners we even know which region are they from,” he said. Moscow denies it supports pro-Russian separatists with weapons and troops.  In an apparent response to European Union sanctions over its alleged role in Ukraine, Moscow imposed a travel ban on 89 European officials. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday dismissed what he called the "absurdity" of EU complaints over the measure.