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A former speaker of Ukraine's parliament and prominent pro-democracy activist was gunned down Saturday in the western city of Lviv, officials said, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to condemn what he called a "horrific murder."
Andriy Parubiy, 54, who served as parliamentary speaker during the 2010s and played key roles in Ukraine's pro-European protest movements, was killed by an unidentified gunman who fired multiple shots, according to the prosecutor general's office.
"An unidentified man fired several shots at the politician, killing Andriy Parubiy on the spot," prosecutors said in a statement announcing a murder investigation.
Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne, citing anonymous sources, reported the shooter was dressed as a delivery rider and fled on an electric bike. Police are still searching for the gunman, and no arrests have been announced.
The killing occurred in Lviv, a major western Ukrainian city that has served as a relative haven from the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Photos purporting to show the crime scene were published by Ukrainian media, but their authenticity could not be independently verified.
Parubiy rose to prominence as a historian-turned-politician who campaigned for Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union and strongly supported the use of the Ukrainian language over Russian.
During the 2014 Maidan protests that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, Parubiy served as a "commander" of opposition self-defense forces.
Following Yanukovych's departure, Parubiy served on Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council before becoming parliamentary speaker. Ukrainian media reported he survived a grenade assassination attempt in 2014.
Zelenskyy pledged that "all necessary forces and means" would be used to investigate the killing.
The motive behind Saturday's shooting remains unclear, and prosecutors have not mentioned possible motives at this stage.
Since Russia's invasion began in 2022, both sides have accused each other of assassinating political and military figures.
Former President Petro Poroshenko paid tribute to a "brother-in-arms" and called the killing "an act of terror" and "a shot at the heart of Ukraine."
"The enemy will never be able to kill the ideals for which Andriy Parubiy lived and fought," Poroshenko said.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko hailed Parubiy as a "patriot" who "made a great contribution to the creation of our state," while current parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said Parubiy "dedicated his life to the fight for Ukraine's independence from a very early age."
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