VIENNA, October 9 (RIA Novosti) - The Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to Ukraine was told that nearly 1,500 people, including 21 children have been killed in the eastern region of Donetsk since March, the Thursday OSCE release informed.
"The SMM went to the Donetsk city morgue and spoke to the director of the forensic expertise of corpses’ department. He said 1,498 people, including 21 children, had been killed in the entire region of Donetsk from 13 March 2014 to 8 October 2014," the document said.
The director of the forensic expertise of corpses’ department also said that out of the 60 bodies in the basement of the morgue, 20 have not been identified yet.
"The SMM saw several bodies waiting for examination and observed that the overall process was handled appropriately and that all data was stored in a database," the release stated.
In April, Kiev forces started a military operation against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine, which according to UN figures claimed the lives of more than 3,600 people and left over 8,700 injured.
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine was deployed in late March following a request to the OSCE by Ukraine’s government and a consensus agreement by all 57 OSCE participating States. The monitors are to contribute to reducing tensions and fostering peace, stability and security in Ukraine.
