Unrest in Ukraine: Arrest Made Following the Assassination of Politician Andriy Parubiy

Fri Oct 24 2025 15:31:54 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Andriy Parubiy, a former speaker of Ukraine's parliament and a prominent political figure, was shot dead in Lviv. His assassination raises critical concerns about the safety of political leaders in Ukraine amidst ongoing tensions.

Andriy Parubiy, a significant figure in the 2014 protests for closer ties with the EU, was shot dead in Lviv. President Zelensky confirmed the arrest of a suspect, emphasizing the seriousness of the assassination, which was reportedly well-planned. Investigations are ongoing as Ukraine grapples with security issues for its political figures.

A suspect in the fatal shooting of prominent Ukrainian politician Andriy Parubiy has been arrested, the country's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

The 54-year-old parliamentarian was killed by an attacker posing as a courier in the western city of Lviv on Saturday, sparking a manhunt.

Ukraine's interior minister Igor Klymenko said in a statement issued in the early hours of Monday morning that the suspect had been detained in the western Khmelnytskyi region.

Parubiy rose to prominence during Ukraine's Euromaidan mass protests, which advocated closer ties with the EU and brought down pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Klymenko stated that the preliminary investigation has found that the killing had been carefully prepared with Parubiy's travel schedule and route mapped out, alongside an escape plan.

In Zelensky's social media update, he mentioned a conversation with chief prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko, who advised that the suspect had given an initial testimony. Urgent investigative actions are currently underway to establish all the circumstances of this murder, he added, while also thanking law enforcement and prosecutors for their dedication.

Footage reportedly showing the shooting indicated that the assailant, dressed as a courier, approached Parubiy and fired multiple shots at close range.

At a news briefing on Saturday, Lviv police chief Oleksandr Shliakhovskyi confirmed that about eight shots were fired. Sources within Ukraine's law enforcement mentioned that the attacker was disguised to resemble a worker from delivery company Glovo, which expressed shock and pledged full cooperation with the investigation.

Parubiy served as the speaker of Ukraine's parliament from April 2016 to August 2019. He was instrumental in the 2013-14 demonstrations calling for closer ties with the European Union, overseeing self-defense teams that protected the protesters.