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Former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy was shot dead in Lviv on Saturday. Authorities launched an extensive manhunt for his killer, with the Prosecutor General’s office confirming that an unidentified gunman fired multiple shots at Parubiy before fleeing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that “all necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation.” A special operation codenamed “Siren” has also been initiated to track down the suspected assassin, who fired several shots at the politician, according to CNN.
Parubiy’s assassination represents a significant security breach in western Ukraine. As a key architect of Ukraine’s pro-European political transformation and a prominent figure in the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, his death strikes at the heart of Ukraine’s democratic movement during wartime.
Parubiy served as Ukraine’s parliamentary speaker from April 2016 to August 2019. He was also secretary of the National Security and Defense Council during the critical period when fighting began in eastern Ukraine after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Reuters reported.
Unverified footage suggests that the gunman disguised himself as a delivery courier, carrying a yellow Glovo bag and using an e-bike for his escape. Lviv police chief Oleksandr Shliakhovskyi confirmed that the attacker fired approximately eight shots. The killing was described as “very carefully planned.”
Seven shell casings were found at the scene. The shooting occurred around noon in Lviv, prompting immediate condemnation from Ukraine’s highest officials and triggering a comprehensive investigation examining all possible motives, including potential Russian involvement.
Last month, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said it successfully tracked down and neutralized two Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agents suspected of assassinating Colonel Ivan Voronych in Kyiv on July 10.
Parubiy’s murder has sparked widespread condemnation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote, “Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko and Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko have just reported the first known circumstances of the horrendous murder in Lviv. My condolences to his family and loved ones. All necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation.”
Former President Petro Poroshenko said, “Andriy was a great man and a true friend. That is why they take revenge, that is what they are afraid of.” He added, “What can be said for certain is that these monsters are afraid, and that is why they kill true patriots and strong people. This crime is not just shots fired at a person. It is a shot at the army. It is a shot at the language. It is a shot at faith. It is a shot at the heart of Ukraine.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote, “You always remained a patriot of Ukraine and made a great contribution to the formation of our state.”
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are conducting a comprehensive manhunt with all necessary forces deployed to locate the suspected assassin.
