By Eniola Amadu
Former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy was shot dead in the western city of Lviv on Saturday, prompting a nationwide manhunt for the gunman.
The Prosecutor General’s Office said the attacker fired multiple shots, killing Parubiy instantly before fleeing the scene. He was 54.
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Parubiy, who served as parliamentary speaker from 2016 to 2019 and earlier as secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, was a prominent leader of the 2013–14 Euromaidan protests that pushed Ukraine closer to the European Union.
He also played a key role during the early stages of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed the killing, calling it a “horrific murder” and pledging that “all necessary forces and means” were engaged in the search for the perpetrator.
Officials have not yet indicated whether the murder was directly linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stressed the urgency of finding the killer, warning that “in a country at war, there are no completely safe places.”
However, tributes poured in from across Ukraine’s political space. Former President Petro Poroshenko called the killing “a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine,” while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha hailed Parubiy as “a patriot and statesman” whose legacy belongs in the history books.
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Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko described the murder as “a profound loss,” urging a swift investigation.
Meanwhile, law enforcement are yet to release details about the suspect or possible motives.
