UKRAINIAN fascists have broke into and defiled a synagogue in Uman, a city in the centre of the country, leaving behind a pig’s head with a swastika carved into it.

The country’s Communist Party (KPU) said that the neonazis had stormed in on Wednesday night, shouted slurs against Jews and thrown pieces of pork about the place.

They covered several rooms in red paint — apparently a stand-in for pig’s blood.

A handful of worshippers managed to escape the building and ring the police, who turned up after the fascists had fled.

The synagogue is notable for being the resting place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement.

The KPU has previously warned of rising anti-semitism following the fascist-backed overthrow of president Viktor Yanukovych after pro-EU protests in early 2014.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that peace talks backed by France and Germany were the best bet for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine.