The acting Ukrainian President, Oleksandr Turchynov, said yesterday that Russia had supported the torture and murder of a local politician in the east of the country who was loyal to Kiev.
The President called for the re-launch of an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Moscow separatists that was suspended only last week.
The remains of Vladimir Rybak, a town councillor and member of Yulia Tymoshenko's Our Ukraine Fatherland party, and an unidentified body, were believed to have been found in separatist-held Slaviansk.
"These crimes are being carried out with the full support and indulgence of the Russian Federation," said Turchynov. "I call on the security agencies to re-launch and carry out effective anti-terrorist measures, with the aim of protecting Ukrainian citizens living in east [Ukraine] from terrorists."
Ukraine's security forces had largely suspended what was a fairly limited operation to respond to the takeover of the eastern town by pro-Russian separatists after an accord with Moscow last week to try to defuse the crisis.
