Former speaker of Ukraine’s parliament Andriy Parubiy has been shot dead in the western city of Lviv, Ukrainian authorities have said, according to BBC News.
Police said the shooting happened around midday local time on Saturday in the Frankivsk district of Lviv. The BBC reported that some accounts suggest the attacker was dressed as a courier and used an e-bike, though this has not been confirmed.
Parubiy, 54, was a well-known figure in Ukrainian politics. He took part in the Euromaidan protests in 2013–14, which pushed for closer ties with the European Union and led to the removal of former President Viktor Yanukovych.
He later became secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, at a time when Russia annexed Crimea and fighting broke out with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Parubiy joined Ukraine’s territorial defence forces.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram that it was a “terrible murder” and expressed condolences to Parubiy’s family and friends. He added: “All necessary forces and means are being deployed to investigate and find the killer.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described Parubiy as “a patriot and statesman who made an enormous contribution to the defence of Ukraine’s freedom, independence and sovereignty.”
Former president Petro Poroshenko wrote on Telegram: “Andriy was a great man and a true friend. That is why they take revenge, that is what they are afraid of,” referring to Parubiy’s role in strengthening Ukraine’s army.
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The national police, regional police in Lviv and the security service have all launched investigations.
