Police: The identity of Parubiy’s killer has not yet been established, a Russian connection is being considered

Police: The identity of Parubiy’s killer has not yet been established, a Russian connection is being considered

Law enforcement agencies are considering several versions of Andriy Parubiy’s murder in Lviv, including a Russian trace.

This was reported at a briefing by the National Police on August 30. According to the information from the law enforcement agencies, a report of the shooting was received at 11:37 AM on Saturday.

What the investigation found

The deceased was shot about eight times with a short-barreled firearm.

"Today at 11:37 AM, a report was received via line 102 that there was a shooting on Yefremov Street in the city of Lviv. Police units immediately went to this address, establishing that an unknown person had fired about eight shots with a firearm," said the head of the regional police, Oleksandr Shlyakhovsky.

According to him, within the framework of the special operation "Siren," an analysis of surveillance cameras along the criminal’s approach and departure route, and the identification and questioning of witnesses and eyewitnesses have begun.

He mentioned that the question of whether Parubiy was threatened and whether he had any suspicions are currently "being studied and analyzed."

The murder was carefully planned

The identity of the criminal and the weapon used have not yet been established; however, it is known that the crime was very carefully planned.

Law enforcement is trying to identify the person dressed as a Glovo courier "who was wearing a helmet."

"We now understand clearly that the crime was very carefully planned, and the perpetrator was very meticulously prepared for its commission. The police, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the prosecutor’s office are currently conducting measures and further actions aimed at finding the whereabouts of the perpetrator. This is the information we can share at the moment," said Shlyakhovsky.

He did not clarify what is meant by the words about the careful preparation of the crime, "so as not to harm the establishment of the truth and all the circumstances of the criminal proceedings."

It is unclear whether the shooter was an amateur or a professional in shooting.

The investigation is being conducted jointly by the police, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the prosecutor’s office.

Video leak from the crime scene

Speaking about the video published on Telegram channels capturing the moment of Parubiy’s murder, the head of the Lviv regional prosecutor’s office, Mykola Meret, said that materials have been prepared regarding the illegal leak of information.

Within the framework of a separate proceeding, an assessment will be given to the actions of the person who may have been involved in the leak of information from the surveillance camera.

"Any information that is unnecessary at the moment and is important for the pre-investigation cannot be spread by us because it would aid the perpetrator, as they would know about the directions of our movement in documenting this crime. Therefore, we publish information that is already known and will not harm the pre-investigation," said Mykola Meret.

Possible Russian trace

However, the prosecutor’s office has no data on whether the murder of Ukrainian linguist Iryna Farion is related to Andriy Parubiy’s murder.

Among the range of versions being considered are a political motive and possible Russian involvement.

"As for Iryna Farion’s murder, we currently have no data linking these two crimes. This is what we know so far. Other versions, including a Russian trace, are also being considered," noted the head of the regional prosecutor’s office.

He added that the case is under constant control of the Prosecutor General, whom he reports to every hour about the investigative actions taken.

Andriy Parubiy’s route at the time of the murder is being studied, as are his "previous days" in the framework of the criminal proceedings.

Shlyakhovsky promised that the law enforcement agencies will make every effort to bring the killer to justice.