POLITICIANS and trade unions in Ukraine condemned the assassination of Belarusian-born journalist Pavel Sheremet yesterday.

The reporter for the Ukrainska Pravda website, who was a Russian citizen, died yesterday morning after a bomb planted under the car he was driving — owned by his girlfriend and website co-founder Olena Prytula — went off.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: “It seems to me this was done with one aim in mind — to destabilise the situation in the country, possibly ahead of further events.”

In Moscow, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The murder of a Russian citizen and journalist in Ukraine is a very serious cause for concern in the Kremlin.”

Mr Sheremet left Belarus after receiving harassment, threats and a beating following his allegations of government corruption.

He had also criticised Russia and Mr Poroshenko’s regime over the Ukrainian conflict.

International Federation of Journalists president Philippe Leruth called Mr Sheremet’s assassination “a contemptible murder,” adding: “There can be no more impunity for the killing of journalists.”