Updated on 04:43 p.m. Moscow Time
DONETSK, September 8 (RIA Novosti) – At least 30,000 people were killed or injured in the military conflict in southeastern Ukraine, the parliament speaker of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said Monday.
“At least 30,000 [people] were killed or injured. The figure includes casualties on both sides – the self-defense forces and the Kiev troops, as well as civilian casualties,” Boris Litvinov said.
UN officials earlier said that the east Ukraine conflict casualties does not exceed 3,000, according to their estimates.
DPR deputy prime minister in charge of social issues, Alexander Karaman, said that “more or less precise figures will be learned when all territories are freed, and after the disinterment and examination of numerous mass graves.”
In early September, Ukrainian National Security Council Speaker Andriy Lysenko reported that since the start of the military operation, some 846 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and 3,072 have been wounded.
On September 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a seven-point peace plan for Ukraine, urging Kiev to withdraw its troops from the country’s southeastern regions.
On September 5, representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) agreed to a ceasefire between Kiev and independence supporters during the meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine in Minsk. The ceasefire started at 15:00 GMT the same day.
