In Lviv, the ex-parliamentary speaker of Ukraine, Andriy Parubiy, allegedly met with a fatal shooting.
Ukrainian Parliamentary Speaker Andriy Parubiy Shot Dead in Lviv
Andriy Parubiy, a former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker and key figure in the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests, was tragically shot dead in Lviv on Saturday. He was 54 years old.
The shooting occurred around noon (0900 GMT). The circumstances surrounding his death are currently under investigation by the Ukrainian authorities.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described Parubiy's death as a "profound loss" for the nation. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha hailed him as "a patriot and statesman who made an enormous contribution to the defense of Ukraine's freedom, independence, and sovereignty." Former President Petro Poroshenko described the killing as "a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine."
Andriy Parubiy was a member of the Ukrainian parliament and served as parliamentary speaker from April 2016 to August 2019. Prior to that, he served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council in 2014, a critical period that saw fighting begin in eastern Ukraine and Russia annex Crimea.
Parubiy was also a key leader of the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests, which advocated for closer ties with the European Union. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stressed the importance of finding the killer and investigating the circumstances of the attack on Parubiy.
Under the directive of President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office launched a special operation called "Siren" to investigate Parubiy's murder. Zelensky instructed the police and security services to pursue urgent investigative measures to bring those responsible to justice.
At this time, no immediate connection to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine has been established regarding Parubiy's death. The investigation is ongoing, and further details will be released as they become available.
