Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill that critics say weakens the independence of the country's anti-corruption bodies, sparking protests and drawing international criticism.

Ukraine has toughened restrictions on two anti-corruption agencies at the centre of the government's reform drive, rolling back their autonomy in favour of tighter executive control. Stamping out endemic graft is a requirement for Kyiv to join the European Union as well as to secure billions in Western aid.

The demonstrations erupted outside the president’s office after Ukraine’s Parliament approved a law that would effectively strip independence from the anticorruption bureau.