Since the beginning of the current year, the total number of civilian casualties confirmed by the SMM is 345 people, including 62 fatalities as a result of the fighting in Donbas, according to the report of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM), released on the organization’s website on August 11.
“Three civilians were killed and ten injured from July 24 to August 8. It has brought the total number of civilian casualties confirmed by the SMM in 2017 to 345, including 62 fatalities,” the report says.
The document says the mission’s freedom of movement continued to be restricted.
“Apart from restrictions related to the lack of mine action by the sides, access for SMM patrols was impeded on numerous occasions, particularly in the non-government controlled areas in the southern part of Donetsk region. Notably, between July 24 and August 8, Russia-backed separatists prevented the SMM from proceeding east from an entry-exit checkpoint in Verkhnioshyrokivske ten times,” the report reads.
