KYIV: Ukrainian authorities have directly linked Russia to the assassination of prominent pro-Western politician Andriy Parubiy over the weekend.
National police chief Ivan Vygivsky stated that the killing was not accidental and contained clear Russian connections in a social media announcement.
Police arrested a suspect who allegedly shot Parubiy eight times in broad daylight while disguised as a courier in the western city of Lviv.
The interior minister confirmed the murder was carefully planned with the perpetrator studying the victim’s movements and preparing an escape route.
President Volodymyr Zelensky received confirmation of the arrest from both the interior minister and security service chief following the operation.
Russian state media had previously reported that Parubiy was wanted by Russian authorities since 2023 for his pro-Ukrainian activities.
Parubiy served as parliament speaker and played key roles in both the 2004 and 2014 pro-European protest movements in Ukraine.
He actively campaigned for Ukrainian independence and promoted the Ukrainian language over Russian throughout his political career.
During the 2014 Maidan protests, Parubiy commanded opposition self-defence forces that ultimately ousted Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin leadership.
Ukrainian media reported that he survived an assassination attempt by grenade in the same year prior to this recent attack. – AFP
