Additional Coverage:
Former Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Assassinated, Russia Linked to the Killing
Kyiv— Ukrainian authorities have arrested a suspect in the assassination of Andriy Parubiy, a prominent pro-Western politician and former speaker of parliament. Parubiy was shot dead on Saturday in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine near the Polish border.
National police chief Ivan Vygivsky stated that the crime “was not accidental” and pointed to Russian involvement. The suspect, apprehended in the Khmelnytsky region, reportedly shot Parubiy eight times in broad daylight before attempting to escape. Images released by Vygivsky show officers in military uniform arresting a shirtless man in what appears to be an apartment.
According to sources within Ukrainian law enforcement, the assailant disguised himself as a delivery driver. The delivery company allegedly used by the suspect expressed shock and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
Both President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Interior Minister Igor Klymenko highlighted the premeditated nature of the attack, noting that the suspect had studied Parubiy’s movements and planned an escape route. Zelenskyy confirmed the suspect provided initial testimony.
Parubiy was a key figure in Ukraine’s pro-European movements in 2004 and 2014. He also served as a commander of opposition self-defense forces during the 2014 Maidan protests, which led to the removal of Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin leadership. Russian state media reported that Parubiy had been wanted by Russian authorities since 2023.
This assassination follows a pattern of similar incidents during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides accusing each other of targeting political and military figures. Just last month, a Ukrainian security service member, Colonel Ivan Voronych, was killed in Kyiv, and Ukrainian authorities subsequently claimed to have eliminated two Russian agents believed to be responsible.