Ukrainian authorities say they have detained three people suspected of involvement in the murder of journalist Oles Buzyna.

The Kyiv prosecutor's office announced on June 18 that two suspects were detained, saying they were residents of the capital and aged 25 and 26.

Later in the day, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on Twitter that a third suspect was detained, without giving any details.

Buzyna, 45, was gunned down near his Kyiv apartment block on April 16.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has described Buzyna's daytime slaying by two masked men in a central Kyiv street as a "deliberate provocation."

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Buzyna was killed for political reasons because of his pro-Russian views.

Based on reporting by Interfax and Sputnik