A man accused of murdering former Ukrainian Speaker Andriy Parubiy admitted his guilt in court on Tuesday, September 2nd, and told reporters that the killing was his revenge against the Ukrainian authorities.
Parubiy, a former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament and a prominent nationalist politician, was shot dead last Saturday in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. The police described it as a “carefully planned” attack.
The suspect is a 52-year-old resident of Lviv, whose name has not been disclosed by the authorities. In a video captured inside the court on Tuesday, the suspect told reporters that he was responsible for Parubiy’s death, calling the murder his “personal retaliation against the Ukrainian authorities.”
He also denied reports of being blackmailed by Russian intelligence agencies, stating, “That’s not true. I just want the verdict to be announced as soon as possible. Yes, I admit, I killed him. I want to request to be exchanged for prisoners of war so I can find my son’s body.”
When asked why he specifically targeted Parubiy, the man said it was because the lawmaker was “close by.”
“If I lived in Vinnytsia, then it would have been Petya,” the suspect added, referring to Petro Poroshenko, the former President of Ukraine.
According to the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, after shooting Parubiy, the suspect allegedly fled into the forest, burned the clothes he was wearing, and dismantled the bicycle he was riding.
The prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday that the suspect would be detained for 60 days during the investigation.
Ukrainian media reported that the suspect’s son is a soldier in the Ukrainian military. In response to this information, the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office stated that they would investigate this lead and other related details.
Radio Svoboda reported earlier that the suspect in Parubiy’s murder confessed to the crime and discussed his contacts with Russian representatives.
According to sources, the suspect mentioned during the initial interrogation that he contacted Russians while searching for his son, who went missing during battles with Russia.
Andriy Nebytov, Deputy Chief of the National Police of Ukraine, suggested that the criminal suspect may have received instructions before committing the crime.