International

The UN's ninth report on the conflict in eastern Ukraine painted a picture of "merciless devastation of civilian lives and infrastructure," said the organization's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, on Monday.

According to the report, hundreds of civilians and military personnel have been killed in the last few weeks alone, following an escalation of violence near the Donetsk airport and the town of Debaltseve and despite a European-brokered ceasefire agreement signed last month in Minsk.

The death toll from fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists has now climbed to more than 6,000, Zeid said.

The UN human rights chief urged all sides to "halt the indiscriminate shelling and other hostilities that have created a dreadful situation for civilians" and respect the Minsk agreement.