Former Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy Shot Dead in Lviv

Ukraine was thrown into shock on Saturday following the assassination of Andriy Parubiy, the country’s former parliament speaker, who was gunned down in broad daylight in the western city of Lviv.

Authorities said Parubiy, 54, was attacked just after midday by a gunman disguised as a food delivery courier. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailant opened fire multiple times before fleeing on an electric bicycle, leaving seven spent shell casings at the scene. Emergency services rushed to the area but could not save the veteran politician, who died instantly from his injuries.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the killing, calling it a “horrific murder” and vowing that Ukraine’s law enforcement and security agencies would spare no effort in hunting down those responsible.

The Interior Ministry launched Operation Siren, a large-scale manhunt that has put security forces on high alert across Lviv and surrounding regions.

Parubiy was a central figure in Ukraine’s modern political history. A leader of the 2013–2014 Euromaidan protests, he later served as Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council during the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of conflict with Russia.

From 2016 to 2019, he held one of the country’s highest offices as Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.

Tributes poured in after news of his death. Former President Petro Poroshenko described him as “a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine,” while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha hailed him as a patriot whose life’s work was dedicated to Ukraine’s freedom and sovereignty.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko expressed her condolences, calling the assassination a profound loss for the nation.

Although Ukraine remains embroiled in its war with Russia, prosecutors have yet to establish any direct link between Parubiy’s murder and the ongoing conflict. For now, investigators are treating it as a targeted political assassination, exploring all possible motives.

The killing has cast a dark shadow over Lviv, a city far from the battlefront that had been regarded as relatively safe during the war. For many Ukrainians, Parubiy’s assassination is a chilling reminder that even away from the frontlines, the nation’s leaders remain vulnerable.