Ukraine Investigates Murder of Former Parliament Speaker

The murder of former Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy was carefully planned, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday. He stated that the security service (SBU) is involved in the investigation. Parubiy was shot in Lviv,western Ukraine,on Saturday,and the killer is still at large,prompting a large-scale search operation.

“Law enforcement is reporting regularly – the Minister of the Interior, the Attorney General,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. “They are investigating Andriy Parubiy’s murder.”

“Many forces are involved – all the necessary ones.Unluckily, the crime was carefully prepared. But everything is being done too solve this crime,” the president said in a video statement.

Zelenskyy added that he spoke with SBU leader Vasyl Maluk.

“The SBU is involved in the investigation,” the president confirmed.

Zelenskyy has ordered officials to provide updates on the investigation instantly.

Andriy Parubiy served in multiple parliamentary terms and was the Speaker of Parliament from 2016 to 2019. In the 2019 elections, he was elected to parliament on the list of President Petro Poroshenko’s “European Solidarity” party.

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence’s Main Intelligence Agency (HUR), stated that with Parubiy’s murder, enemies are attempting to create fear.

“The enemies are unable to conquer Ukraine by force, so they are resorting to terrorism, trying to sow fear, provoking tension and chaos in society to break the will of the Ukrainian people to resist,” Budanov said.

Budanov expressed his deepest condolences.