A/HRC/40/CRP.3 I. Executive summary 1. This twenty-fifth report on the situation of human rights in Ukraine by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is based on the work of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), 1 and covers the period from 16 November 2018 to 15 February 2019. 2. OHCHR documented 315 human rights violations during the reporting period, which affected 202 victims.2 This represents an increase of documented violations compared with those documented during the previous reporting period of 16 August to 15 November 2018.3 Of the violations documented in this report, 221 violations occurred during the reporting period. 3. Of the violations documented by OHCHR, the Government of Ukraine was responsible for 126 violations, the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ and selfproclaimed ‘Luhansk people’s republic’4 for 154, and the Government of the Russian Federation (as the occupying Power in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation5) for 35. 4. Throughout the reporting period, OHCHR operations in territory controlled by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ and ‘Luhansk people’s republic’ continued to be restricted. Ongoing discussions through regular meetings with representatives of both ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ and ‘Luhansk people’s republic’ have yet to secure the full resumption of OHCHR operations in the territory they control, as well as unimpeded confidential access to detainees in this territory. 5. The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine continued with ongoing hostilities in a number of hotspots along the contact line. Overall, OHCHR noted a trend of decreasing conflict-related civilian casualties, which in 2018 were 53 per cent lower than in 2017, and were at their lowest for the entire conflict period. 6 The total civilian death toll of the conflict reached at least 3,321 as of 15 February 2019. More than 80 per cent of these occurred before mid-February 2015, reflective of the long-term positive impact of the Package of Measures to implement the Minsk Agreements on the decline of hostilities and civilian casualties since the adoption of the latter and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2202 in February 2015.7 6. During the reporting period, OHCHR documented 16 conflict-related civilian casualties: two people were killed and 14 injured, which represents a 68 per cent decrease compared with the previous reporting period from 16 August to 15 November 2018. Shelling and small arms and light weapons (SALW) fire injured ten civilians – one of the lowest figures for the entire conflict period. Of these, nine were recorded in territory controlled by armed groups8 and are attributable to the Government, and one was recorded 1 HRMMU was deployed on 14 March 2014 to monitor and report on the human rights situation throughout Ukraine, and to propose recommendations to the Government and other actors to address human rights concerns. For more details, see paras. 7-8 of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Ukraine of 19 September 2014 (A/HRC/27/75). 2 Between 16 August and 15 November 2018, OHCHR documented 242 human rights violations. Of those, 207 human rights violations occurred in the course of that reporting period. These numbers include civilian casualties caused by the armed conflict. 3 The increase of violations documented is not representative of a deterioration of the overall human rights situation; it is in part due to a high number of victims of human rights violations OHCHR was able to interview only after their transfer to government-controlled territory in December 2018 and February 2019. 4 Hereinafter ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ and ‘Luhansk people’s republic.’ 5 Hereinafter Crimea. 6 279 conflict-related civilian casualties (55 killed and 224 injured) in 2018 versus 604 (117 killed and 487 inured) in 2017. 7 See United Nations Security Council resolution 2202/2015. 8 Eight - in territory controlled by ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ and one - in territory controlled by ‘Luhansk people’s republic’. 4