Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that the figures of at least 7,962 people killed and 17,811 wounded were conservative estimates, as the actual numbers could be far higher.
The move also opens the door to investigate the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in which 298 people – mainly Dutch – died in July a year ago, civil groups said.
The court said on Tuesday Ukraine had now expanded its jurisdiction to include the period up to the present.
Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will doubtless now increase that probe to cowl potential crimes dedicated in Crimea and the nation’s conflict-hit east.
A United Nations report tallied at least 105 Ukrainian civilians killed and 308 injured between May 16 and August 15, 2015, compared to 60 killed and 102 injured between February 16 and May 15, 2015.
“The situation in Ukraine continued to be marred by ongoing armed hostilities in some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions reportedly fueled by the presence and continuing influx of foreign fighters and sophisticated weapons and ammunition from the Russian Federation“, the report said in the monitors’ most direct criticism of the Kremlin’s hand in the Ukraine conflict since fighting began in April 2014.
“Ukraine has taken a crucial step towards ending violence and armed conflict in the east of the country”, he said in a written reaction.
“Numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in the eastern Ukraine since February 2014, including violence against civilians and the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17”, the umbrella Coalition for the ICC said in a statement.
Roman Romanov, director the Ukrainian non-government group Worldwide Renaissance Basis, welcomed the transfer.
The report also said that human rights violations continue to be committed by the de facto authorities in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
The warring sides in Ukraine have however marked a week without heavy fighting, a tentatively encouraging sign that came after the rebels pledged renewed commitment to the peace deal.
Some suggest Putin may be ready to extend an olive branch to US President Barack Obama and European leaders in order to ease the sting of Western sanctions and low oil prices on Russia’s shrinking and heavily energy export-dependent economy.