The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has confirmed 442 (88 killed, 354 injured) civilian casualties occurring in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2016, according to its report entitled “Civilian casualties in eastern Ukraine 2016” published on Saturday, September 16.
“The Mission confirmed 442 (88 killed, 354 injured) civilian casualties occurring in Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2016. Cases occurred predominantly in Donetsk region,” the SMM said.
Shelling, mostly occurring during the night, from various artillery systems with large calibre, represents the major cause of civilian casualties. The majority of injured and killed civilians were men.
“The SMM observed the increased use of heavy weapons near the contact line, recurrently from October, of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS),” the SMM said.
Mines, explosive remnants of war (ERW), booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IED), which proportionally cause more fatalities than shelling, were responsible for most of the remaining casualties.
Boys (under 18 years old) were predominantly affected by incidents attributed to mishandling of explosives, representing almost 90% of child victims.
