Ukraine parliament’s ex-speaker Andriy Parubiy assassinated; Zelensky calls it ‘horrendous murder’

Andriy Parubiy, a Ukrainian politician who had served as the parliament speaker and played an active role in the EuroMaidan Revolution, was assassinated in broad daylight by a gunman disguised as a delivery courier in Lviv on Saturday. Ukraine’s National Police had said earlier in the day that a political figure was murdered after a shooting in the western Ukrainian city. Iryna Herashchenko, a lawmaker from the European Solidarity party, subsequently confirmed that Parubiy was the victim. “Law enforcement officers are taking all measures to establish the identity of the shooter and his location. All details will be disclosed in the manner and to the extent stipulated by criminal procedural legislation,” said local authorities.

Parubiy, who had served as the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, was a staunchly pro-Ukrainian politician who was known as the “commandant of Maidan”—the tent camp that led the demonstrations in Kyiv. He had played a prominent role in the protests in Kyiv in 2014 that led to the toppling of pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said, “Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko have just informed me about the first known circumstances of the terrible murder in Lviv. Andriy Parubiy has died.”

“All necessary means have been deployed in the investigation and search for the killer.”

Authorities received an emergency call at around noon after the shooting in Lviv’s southern Frankivskyi city district, the police said. Parubiy reportedly died at the scene.

Assailant came on electric bicycle, was dressed as courier

Citing sources, Suspilne broadcaster reported that the suspected assailant was dressed as a delivery courier and rode an electric bicycle. The attacker reportedly approached Parubiy, opened fire, and fled from the scene on the bicycle. Seven shell casings were found at the crime scene, law enforcement sources said.

The manhunt for the shooter continues across the Lviv Oblast, with all security services mobilised for the search operation. The incident marks another high-profile killing in Lviv, following the July 2024 assassination of former MP Iryna Farion in the same city.

Parubiy participated in 2004 Orange Revolution, EuroMaidan Revolution in 2013-2014

Parubiy, who was 54, was a longtime lawmaker from Lviv Oblast who participated in the Orange Revolution in 2004 and formed self-defence volunteer units during the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2013-2014.

After the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in the wake of EuroMaidan, Parubiy was appointed National Security and Defence Council secretary. He held the position between February and August 2014, at the time when Russia occupied Crimea and launched its aggression in Donbas.

Parubiy then served as the first deputy parliament speaker between 2014 and 2016 and as the parliament speaker from 2016 until 2019. Since 2019, Parubiy has been a member of ex-President Petro Poroshenko’s European Solidarity party.

“Our team is shocked. This is terror,” Heraschenko said in a statement published on European Solidarity’s Facebook page.

“Andriy was one of the founders of the modern Ukraine... principled and decent, patriotic, intelligent.”

Parubiy gained prominence during the 2013-2014 Euromaidan protests as commandant of the tent camp and head of self-defence detachments.

During the February 2014 revolution, after the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, Parubiy led forces that took control of the government quarter in Kyiv, including the Verkhovna Rada, Presidential Administration, Cabinet of Ministers, and Interior Ministry buildings.