A senior Ukrainian journalist known for his pro-Russia stance has been shot dead in Kiev, one day after a former pro-Russia lawmaker was found dead in the Ukrainian capital.
Oles Buzyna, 45, had recently resigned as editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Sevodnya. Ukraine's interior ministry said in a statement that he was killed Thursday afternoon by two masked gunmen shooting from a passing car, according to The Associated Press .
Buzyna was largely perceived as more of an activist than a journalist, the news service says. He ran for a seat in Ukraine's parliament on the Russian Bloc ticket but was not elected.
His killing comes one day after Oleh Kalashnikov, a former member of parliament loyal to ousted Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych was found dead with a gunshot wound at his home in Kiev. Police have not said whether they believe Kalashnikov was murdered or committed suicide.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has ordered a "quick and transparent" investigation into the deaths of both Buzyna and Kalashnikov, according to the Kyiv Post.
"Their nature and the political import are clear — this is a deliberate act, which plays into the hands of our enemies," Poroshenko's press service quoted him as saying in an online statement, according to Reuters .
Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the journalist's killing. During his annual televised call-in show, he referred specifically to Buzyna's death, saying it had been politically motivated.
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