The former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Andriy Parubiy has been shot dead in the western city of Lviv, officials have said.
Unverified footage, purportedly of the shooting, shows a gunman dressed as a courier approaching Parubiy on the street, holding up a weapon before fleeing. A large manhunt is underway for the suspect.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the shooting a 'terrible murder' and expressed condolences to Parubiy's family.
Parubiy, 54, was prominent during Ukraine's Euromaidan mass protests that advocated for closer ties with the European Union and contributed to the fall of pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.
A special operation, codenamed Siren, has been launched by Ukrainian authorities to track down and arrest the shooter, with all necessary resources being deployed, according to Zelensky.
Ukrainian prosecutors reported that an unidentified gunman fired multiple shots at Parubiy, resulting in his death on the scene. Witness accounts suggest the attack was planned meticulously, as the gunman fired about eight times with a weapon not yet identified.
Motives behind the attack are being explored, including possible links to Russian involvement. Reports indicate that the assailant, disguised as a Glovo courier, utilized an e-bike during his escape.
Parubiy rose to prominence during the Euromaidan movement, organizing armed teams of protesters, and later served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council during crucial times in the country's conflict with Russia.
Former President Petro Poroshenko lamented the loss of Parubiy, calling the assassination 'a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine' and highlighted his role in strengthening the Ukrainian army.
