FEMEN activists were beaten up in an attack in Odesa on Saturday evening, the regional police spokesman, Volodymyr Shabliyenko, told Interfax-Ukraine.

The victims complained to the police and were taken to a hospital, where they were given medical attention, Shabliyenko said.

A criminal inquiry was launched on counts of inflicting bodily harm, he said.

FEMEN said on its website that, "people from Ukrainian special services attacked and severely beat" activists Hanna Hutsol and Oleksandra Shevchenko, and FEMEN consultant Viktor Sviatsky.