U.N. Chief Urges Swift Probe of Ukraine Murders

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said it was critical that Ukrainian authorities quickly investigate the murders of two pro-Russia figures in Kiev.

Columnist Oles Buzyna was gunned down in central Kiev on Thursday just hours after former ruling party lawmaker Oleg Kalashnikov was killed at his home in the capital. 

Ban expressed concern over the killings and noted that President Petro Poroshenko had pledged to carry out a swift investigation.

"This will be critical in order to ensure the rule of law and the need to bring the perpetrators to justice," he said in a statement.

Ukraine's interior ministry has said that Russia may have ordered the killings to sow "terror" and make it look like Ukraine's government was hunting down its rivals.

Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of arming separatist rebels who have gained control of much of eastern Ukraine, a charge Russia denies.