US Encourages Ukraine to Take Civilian Casualties ‘Into Account’

US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki stated that the US encouraged the Ukrainians to take into account civilian casualties during the ongoing conflict in the country.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States called on the Ukraine government to keep the possibility of civilian casualties in mind, as it prosecutes its war against independence fighters in the eastern part of the country, US State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said on Tuesday.

“We, of course, also encourage the Ukrainians, when they are fighting back and defending their own country, to take into account civilian casualties,” Psaki said.

Psaki was reacting to a question about a UN Human rights report that condemned both Ukrainian government forces and independence fighters for civilian casualties.

In the three weeks leading up to February 1, 224 civilians were killed in Ukraine and another 545 wounded, as the conflict’s overall casualty toll climbs to 5,358 killed with 12,235 wounded, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a press release on Tuesday.

In Spring 2014, the government in Kiev launched a military operation against independence supporters in southeastern Ukraine that refused to recognize the new regime which, earlier in winter, had come to power as a result of a coup.