KIEV, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The number of deaths caused by the conflict in eastern Ukraine has topped 10,000, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Tuesday.
"The total number of victims is impressive -- it has reached 10,000 people," Poroshenko told reporters during his visit to a military hospital in Kiev.
In particular, more than 2,500 Ukrainian government troops were killed in the conflict, Poroshenko said, adding that 125 wounded servicemen are battling for their lives at the hospitals.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine began in April 2014, when Kiev launched offensives against pro-independence insurgents in a bid to retake the cities and towns they seized.
The intensity of hostilities has eased since the Minsk ceasefire deal was reached in February 2015, resulting in lower casualties. However, clashes between the conflicting sides still occur and rival forces repeatedly accuse each other of violating the truce.
