Ukrainian police reported on Friday that the suspect, arrested earlier that day, fired 8 shots at Parubiy before fleeing the scene.

"We know this crime wasn't accidental. There's a Russian connection. Everyone involved will be held accountable," Ivan Vygivsky, head of the National Police of Ukraine, posted on social media.

He also included a photo of the arrest, showing a shirtless man surrounded by uniformed personnel in an apartment. The man's face was blurred.

The suspect in the assassination of the former Ukrainian parliament speaker was arrested on 1/9. Photo: National Police of Ukraine

The suspect in the assassination of the former Ukrainian parliament speaker was arrested on 1/9. Photo: National Police of Ukraine

According to police chief Vyhivskyi, the suspect disguised himself as a delivery worker to carry out the attack, even checking to ensure Parubiy was dead before leaving.

"The suspect spent considerable time preparing, observing, planning, and finally pulling the trigger. It took us only 36 hours to track down and arrest him," Vyhivskyi added.

Russia has not yet commented on the accusation.

Parubiy, 54, was killed while walking on a sidewalk in Lviv, western Ukraine, on 30/8. Security camera footage shows the suspect waiting by parked cars. As Parubiy walked by, the suspect quickly approached from behind, drew a gun, and fired. The suspect then ran across the street and escaped.

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 speaker of the Ukrainian parliament from 2016 to 2019.

According to Russian media, Parubiy has been wanted by Moscow since 2023. Ukrainian media reported that he survived a grenade attack in 2014.

Huyen Le (AFP, Reuters)