Former Ukrainian Speaker shot dead in Lviv

New Delhi, Aug 31: Former speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, Andriy Parubiy, has been shot dead in the western city of Lviv, officials confirmed as reported by BBC.

Footage circulating online appears to show a gunman disguised as a courier approaching Parubiy on the street, brandishing a weapon and opening fire before fleeing.

Ukrainian prosecutors said the assailant fired several shots, killing the 54-year-old politician instantly. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as a “terrible murder” and expressed condolences to Parubiy’s family. He said a special operation, codenamed Siren, had been launched to track down the suspect, with “all necessary forces and means” deployed. Parubiy rose to prominence during Ukraine’s 2014 Euromaidan protests, which pushed for closer ties with the European Union and led to the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Lviv’s chief prosecutor Mykola Meret said investigators were examining all possible motives for the killing, including potential Russian involvement.