KIEV, April 16. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine's Verkhovnaya Rada (parliament) has backed the military operation in the east of the country, parliament-appointed First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema told reporters.

At a session held behind closed doors, which was attended by heads of law-enforcement agencies, the Verkhovnaya Rada supported the military operation which is being "carried out in eastern Ukraine by police, the Defence Ministry and all law-enforcement bodies," Yarema said.

He said the issue of the state of emergency was not discussed at the Wednesday session.

Reports said Ukraine's parliament-appointed acting Defence Minister Mikhail Koval was on a fact-finding mission to eastern regions where the Kiev-based authorities launched an operation against supporters of federalization on Tuesday.

"The defence minister has left for the east (of the country). He will report what is happening there," Yarema said.

On April 15, Ukraine's parliament-appointed Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov announced the start of a military operation in Donetsk Oblast. Later, there were reports of region's city of Sloviansk having been surrounded by Kiev-controlled forces that had armored vehicles at their disposal. A fighter jet was reported shot down near the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast.