Suspect admits killing Ukrainian lawmaker, says it was ‘revenge’ against authorities
Police officers escort the suspect in the murder of Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Parubiy into a courtroom in Lviv
By Daria Tarasova-Markina and Catherine Nicholls, CNN
Kyiv, Ukraine (CNN) — The suspected killer of Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Parubiy admitted his role in the politician’s death on Tuesday, claiming to have carried out the crime in an act of “revenge” against the country’s authorities.
Parubiy, a prominent nationalist politician who was previously the chair of Ukraine’s parliament, was shot dead in what police called a “carefully planned” attack in the western city of Lviv on Saturday.
The suspect, a 52-year-old resident of Lviv whose name has not been released by police, told journalists on Tuesday that he was responsible for Parubiy’s death, video from inside the court showed. He described the killing as his “personal revenge against the Ukrainian authorities.”
“Yes, I admit I killed him,” he told reporters inside the court, denying that he worked with any Russian special services to carry out the killing. He shot Parubiy “because he was nearby,” he said.
After shooting Parubiy, the suspect allegedly fled to the forest, where he burned the clothes he was wearing and took apart the bicycle he had been riding, the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said.
He has been remanded in custody for 60 days while investigations are carried out, the prosecutor’s office said Tuesday.
The suspect told journalists that he would like a verdict to be issued quickly so that he can be “exchanged for prisoners of war so that I can go and find my son’s body,” the video from the courtroom shows.
Ukrainian media has reported that the man’s son was a soldier in the country’s military. When asked about this, the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said that this angle, as well as other information, will be investigated.
The funeral for Parubiy was also held on Tuesday, Maksym Kozytskyi, the head of Lviv’s regional military administration, posted to social media.
“Many people came to bid farewell to Andriy Parubiy. May his memory live on. My sincere condolences to his family,” Kozytskyi wrote, alongside images of dozens of mourners.
“The murderer will receive a just punishment,” he said.
Daria Tarasova-Markina reported from Kyiv and Catherine Nicholls wrote in London.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
