Kyiv Links Russia To Killing Of Ukrainian Lawmaker Andriy Parubiy After Suspect Arrested

Last Updated:September 01, 2025, 16:35 IST

Parubiy, 54, was a former speaker of Ukraine’s parliament and a key figure in the country’s pro-European protest movements in 2004 and 2014

File photo of Andriy Parubiy. (AFP)

Ukrainian authorities have said Russia was involved in the killing of senior lawmaker Andriy Parubiy, who was shot dead in the western city of Lviv on Saturday. A suspect has now been arrested, and police believe the murder was carefully planned.

Parubiy, 54, was a former speaker of Ukraine’s parliament and a key figure in the country’s pro-European protest movements in 2004 and 2014. He represented the Lviv region in parliament and had long supported Ukraine’s independence and closer ties with the West.

According to police, the suspect approached Parubiy dressed as a delivery courier and fired eight shots at him in broad daylight before fleeing. Authorities announced the arrest on Monday.

Ukraine’s national police chief Ivan Vygivsky said the murder was not random. “There is a Russian trace in it," he posted on social media, alongside a photo showing the suspect—shirtless—being detained by officers in uniform inside an apartment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed he had been informed of the arrest by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk. Zelenskyy later said the suspect had already given an initial statement.

Klymenko added that the operation to capture the suspect involved dozens of police and security personnel and took place in Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi region. He said the attacker had tracked Parubiy’s movements in detail and had planned an escape route.

Parubiy was a central figure during the 2014 Maidan protests, when he led self-defence groups against government forces. These protests led to the fall of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, who later fled to Russia.

Following Yanukovych’s removal, Parubiy served on Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council. He also survived a grenade attack that year, according to Ukrainian media.

A historian by training, Parubiy was known for defending Ukrainian language and culture over Russian influence. He remained a vocal supporter of Ukraine’s independence until his death.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, both Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other for targeting political and military figures.

Russian state media has reported that Parubiy had been on Moscow’s wanted list since 2023.

(With inputs from AFP)

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First Published:

September 01, 2025, 16:35 IST

News world Kyiv Links Russia To Killing Of Ukrainian Lawmaker Andriy Parubiy After Suspect Arrested

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