Lviv: A suspect in the murder of former Ukrainian parliamentary speaker, Andriy Parubiy, has confessed to the crime, admitting responsibility and expressing a desire for a swift sentencing. The individual, during a court hearing in Lviv, stated his intention to be exchanged for a prisoner of war in Russia, which would allow him to search for the body of his missing son.

According to Ghana News Agency, the 52-year-old suspect revealed a personal motive behind the murder, describing it as revenge against the Ukrainian state. He chose Parubiy as his victim due to their proximity, yet he denied any connections to Russian intelligence services. Despite this, police and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have previously suggested a possible Russian link, given that the suspect’s son disappeared in 2023 during combat with Russian forces near Bakhmut, an eastern Ukrainian city currently under occupation.

The funeral for Parubiy took place at Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, attracting large crowds. Notable attendees included former president Petro Poroshenko, parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Parubiy, who was known for his role as one of the organizers of the pro-Western protests during the winter of 2013-14, was shot dead in broad daylight on Saturday in Lviv. Authorities arrested the suspect roughly a day and a half after the murder in the neighboring Khmelnytskyi region.

Parubiy was a member of Poroshenko’s European Solidarity party at the time of his death, and his passing marks a significant loss to the Ukrainian political landscape.