The 54-year-old lawmaker was gunned down at midday in central Lviv. According to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office, the attacker fired multiple rounds before fleeing the scene. A large-scale police operation, codenamed Siren, was immediately launched to track down the suspect.
Unverified video circulating online appears to show the gunman disguised as a food courier, carrying a yellow delivery bag and leaving the scene on an e-bike. Authorities have not confirmed the footage but described the killing as carefully planned.
President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the murder as a 'horrific crime,' pledging that all security resources had been mobilised to capture those responsible.
'All necessary forces and means are engaged in the investigation and search for the killer,' he wrote on X, extending condolences to Parubiy's family.
Lviv's mayor Andriy Sadovyi warned that the assassination underscored the vulnerability of Ukrainians even far from the front lines.
'This is a matter of security in a country at war, where, as we can see, there are no completely safe places,' he said.
Parubiy rose to national prominence during the 2013â€"2014 Euromaidan movement, where he coordinated protest self-defence units that resisted riot police during months of demonstrations demanding closer integration with Europe. After the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych, he briefly served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council in 2014, at the onset of Russia's annexation of Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
He later held the position of parliamentary speaker from 2016 to 2019 and was an influential member of the committee on national security, defence and intelligence. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Parubiy had also joined Ukraine's territorial defence forces.
Political leaders paid tribute to Parubiy's role in shaping Ukraine's democratic path and strengthening its defences.
Former president Petro Poroshenko described his death as 'a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine,' praising him as both a loyal ally and a central figure in building Ukraine's armed forces.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called him 'a patriot and statesman who made an enormous contribution to the defence of Ukraine's freedom, independence and sovereignty,' adding that he 'rightfully belongs in the history books.'
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called the killing 'a profound loss,' urging investigators to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.
Law enforcement officials have not yet identified the shooter or suggested a motive, though prosecutors have said all possible leads are being pursued, including potential Russian involvement.
Police chief Oleksandr Shliakhovskyi confirmed that at least seven shell casings were recovered at the scene and said the weapon used has not yet been identified.
As investigations continue, the killing of Parubiy â€" a symbol of Ukraine's struggle for sovereignty â€" is being seen by many in Kyiv as both a personal tragedy and a stark reminder of the risks facing the country's political leadership during wartime.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
