President Zelensky announced the arrest on social media early this morning. "Minister of Internal Affairs, Igor Klymenko, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, informed me of this development. Other necessary investigative procedures are underway," he wrote. "I thank our law enforcement officers for their swift and coordinated work."
After discussions with Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, Zelensky added that "the suspect has given an initial testimony", and authorities are working to determine all the circumstances of the case.
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Andriy Parubiy at a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv in 2019. Photo: Reuters |
Andriy Parubiy at a session of the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv in 2019. Photo: Reuters
Minister Klymenko stated that dozens of police and security officers participated in the operation to apprehend the suspect in the Khmelnytsky region of western Ukraine. "Details are still limited at this time," he noted, adding that the suspect had prepared meticulously, studying the victim's routes and devising a detailed escape plan.
Parubiy, 54, was killed while walking on a sidewalk in Lviv, western Ukraine, on 30/8. Security camera footage shows the suspect waiting near parked cars. As Parubiy walked past, the suspect quickly approached from behind, drew a gun, and shot him. The suspect then ran across the street and fled.
The moment the former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament was shot in Lviv. Video: Strana
Suspilne, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the suspect was dressed like a delivery worker and riding an electric bicycle. The suspect shot Parubiy 8 times.
Parubiy played a prominent role in the 2014 Maidan revolution. After President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted, he was appointed Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council under President Petro Poroshenko, then served as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament from 2016 to 2019.
Since 2019, Parubiy has been a member of the European Solidarity party founded by Poroshenko.
Vu Hoang (AFP, Reuters, Kyiv Independent)
