Former Ukrainian Speaker Andriy Parubiy Shot Dead in Lviv

Former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Andriy Parubiy was shot dead in the western city of Lviv on Saturday, authorities confirmed, prompting a nationwide manhunt for his killer.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the 54-year-old lawmaker was gunned down when an assailant fired several shots, killing him instantly before fleeing the scene. Security services have since launched an extensive search operation to track down the suspect.

Parubiy was a prominent figure in Ukraine’s political landscape. He served as parliamentary speaker from April 2016 to August 2019 and was one of the leading voices during the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protests that demanded closer ties with the European Union.

He also briefly held the post of secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council in 2014, during the critical months when Russia annexed Crimea and fighting erupted in eastern Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the killing in a statement on X, expressing condolences to Parubiy’s family and praising his contributions to Ukraine’s struggle for sovereignty.

“Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko and Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko have just reported on the first known circumstances of a horrific murder in Lviv. Andriy Parubiy has been killed,” Zelensky wrote. “All necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation and search for the killer.”

“Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko and Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko have just reported on the first known circumstances of a horrific murder in Lviv. Andriy Parubiy has been killed,” Zelensky wrote. “All necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation and search for the killer.”

Lawmakers and government officials paid tribute to Parubiy, remembering him as a key figure in Ukraine’s democratic movement and a staunch defender of national independence.

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the murder was directly linked to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.