KIEV, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Civilian casualties caused by the conflict in eastern Ukraine in June and July this year hit a new high since August 2015, said a UN report issued on Wednesday.
There were 12 deaths and 57 injuries among noncombatants in June in the conflict area, while eight were killed and 65 others wounded in July, according to the report.
The rise in noncombatant victims was driven by an escalation of hostilities, with most casualties caused by shelling, it said.
"The many casualties we have documented in recent weeks suggest that neither Ukrainian forces nor the armed groups are taking the necessary precautions to protect civilians," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al-Hussein was quoted as saying.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine has killed some 9,553 people and wounded 22,137 others since it began in April 2014, the report said.
Hostilities had eased since September 2015, but the conflict flared up again in May 2016 as government troops and pro-independence insurgents failed to find common ground over local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
