Andriy Parubiy assassination: Ukraine arrests suspect, says Zelenskyy
The suspected gunman in the assassination of former Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy has been arrested, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday.
The assassination took place on Saturday in the western city of Lviv, according to the news agencies AFP and dpa.
The suspect was apprehended in the Khmelnytskyi region, between Lviv and Kyiv, during an operation that involved dozens of security force members, Ukraine's Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, said.
The minister emphasized that the assassination was "carefully planned" and stated that police would release more details later.
On social media, Mr Zelenskyy assured the public that the investigation is ongoing and thanked investigators for their "swift and coordinated work." He said that "all the circumstances of this horrific crime must be clarified."
Parubiy, 54, was a prominent figure in the pro-European Maidan Revolution and served as speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, from 2016 to 2019.
He was fatally shot on Saturday in Lviv. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence services, suggested Russia was likely responsible for the killing. Ukraine has been at war with Russia since February 2022.
Parubiy is particularly known for his role in major pro-European movements in Ukraine, first the 2004 Orange Revolution, followed by the 2014 Maidan Revolution.
He served as 'commander' of self-defense groups during the Maidan protests, which were violently repressed. The movement forced pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych to flee to Russia in 2014.
Parubiy was on a list of people wanted by Russian authorities. The list includes tens of thousands of names, including many Ukrainian officials, as well as Russian and Western figures.
In 2014, Parubiy survived an assassination attempt involving a combat grenade, according to Ukrainian media. That year, he held the position of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Over more than three years of war, Ukrainians and Russians have regularly accused each other of assassinations, particularly of political and military leaders.
On Saturday, public broadcaster Suspilne, citing anonymous sources, claimed the attacker was dressed as a courier and was riding an electric bicycle.
The news of Parubiy’s death sparked a wave of tributes from Ukrainian officials.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko paid tribute to "a patriot" who "made a great contribution to the formation of our state."
Another Maidan figure, Mustafa Nayyem, praised the "humanism" of an official who fought for "important issues," he told AFP.
Former President Petro Poroshenko stated that Parubiy’s death was a "shot to the heart of Ukraine," denouncing it as "an act of terror."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
