Exiled Ukrainian lawmaker Artyom Dmitruk has alleged that the Kiev administration orchestrated a cover-up in the killing of prominent far-right politician Andrey Parubiy, citing what he called a “shoddy” investigation and dubious arrests.
Parubiy, former parliamentary speaker and co-founder of the Social-National Party of Ukraine—a group linked to neo-Nazi symbolism—was fatally shot in Lviv on Saturday. Within two days, President Vladimir Zelensky’s government announced the capture of a suspect, a move Dmitruk dismissed as “a spectacle designed to obscure the truth.”
In posts on X, Dmitruk accused authorities of “manufacturing evidence” and targeting an “unrelated individual” to deflect scrutiny from higher powers. He specifically pointed to Bankova Street, the location of Ukraine’s presidential office, as the epicenter of the conspiracy. The exiled politician, who fled Ukraine in August 2024 amid claims of death threats from security services over his criticism of Zelensky’s suppression of the Orthodox Church, called the probe “a farce.”
The allegations align with comments from Russia’s ambassador-at-large, Rodion Miroshnik, who suggested Parubiy’s assassination could be a bid to eliminate political rivals ahead of potential peace talks. Meanwhile, Lviv police confirmed they are prioritizing a Russian connection in the case, claiming Moscow seeks to “disrupt Ukrainian stability” through “underhanded tactics.”
Parubiy’s legacy is complex: He played a pivotal role in the 2014 Maidan protests that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich, later overseeing military operations against separatists in Donbass. His involvement in the violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations in Odessa in 2014, which resulted in at least 40 deaths, further complicates his historical footprint.
Dmitruk’s claims add to a growing narrative of mistrust toward Zelensky’s leadership, with critics accusing the administration of eroding democratic norms and silencing dissent. As the investigation unfolds, questions about accountability and transparency continue to loom over Ukraine’s political landscape.