A former Speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Andriy Parubiy, has been shot dead in Lviv, sparking shockwaves across the war-battered nation and drawing strong condemnation from President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Authorities confirmed yesterday that Parubiy, aged 54, was gunned down in the western Ukrainian city on Saturday. Police disclosed that he “died on the spot as a result of his injuries”, while the assailant remains at large.
President Zelensky, in a swift reaction, described the killing as a “horrific murder” and pledged a full-scale investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. “This is not only an attack on a statesman but a strike at Ukraine’s democratic fabric,” Zelensky said in a statement.
Parubiy, a seasoned politician, rose to prominence as a central figure in the country’s pro-European struggles. He played active roles in both the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Maidan Revolution of 2014, movements that reshaped Ukraine’s political trajectory. Between 2016 and 2019, he presided over the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), navigating the country through a period of intense reform and conflict with Russia.
While investigators are yet to establish a motive, the brazen attack has heightened tensions in a nation already reeling from Moscow’s unrelenting aggression.
The killing of Parubiy, who remained an influential voice in Ukraine’s political circles, underscores the climate of volatility gripping Eastern Europe and has fuelled fresh calls for international solidarity with Kyiv.
