Ukrainian authorities have arrested a suspect in the shooting of Andriy Parubiy, a former parliament speaker and influential pro-Western politician, following an attack in the city of Lviv on Saturday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the arrest on Sunday, stating that investigators were working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing.
An assailant, disguised as a courier, fatally shot Parubiy, 54, in Lviv. According to Ukraine’s Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, the killing appeared to have been “carefully prepared,” with the attacker mapping out Parubiy’s movements and planning an escape route. Klymenko added that urgent investigative steps were underway and that further details would be provided by the national police.
Law enforcement officials later announced the detention of the suspect in the western Khmelnytskyi region. Local media reported that unverified video footage circulating online appeared to show a man dressed as a delivery worker approaching Parubiy before opening fire. Lviv’s police chief, Oleksandr Shliakhovskyi, said the gunman fired about eight shots.
Sources within Ukrainian security services suggested that the attacker wore clothing resembling that of the courier company Glovo. The company said it was “deeply shocked” by the incident and pledged cooperation with the investigation.
Parubiy had long been a visible figure in Ukrainian politics. Originally from the Lviv area, he gained recognition during the Orange Revolution in 2004 and, subsequently, was instrumental in the Euromaidan protests of 2013–2014 that resulted in the removal of then-President Viktor Yanukovych. He organised volunteer self-defence units that protected demonstrators during the mass protests in Kyiv.
From April 2016 to August 2019, Parubiy served as the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, overseeing a turbulent period in the country’s political life marked by ongoing conflict in the east and efforts to strengthen ties with the European Union.
Zelenskyy reported that he had spoken to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, who said the detained suspect had already given an initial testimony. The president added that he had instructed officials to make information about the case available to the public.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities seek to determine the motive behind the attack, which has drawn attention both for its planning and its targeting of a high-profile political figure in western Ukraine.
