Zelensky condemns 'horrific murder' of leading politician

A former Ukrainian speaker of parliament who was a leading figure in the country’s pro-European protest movements of 2004 and 2014 was shot dead on Saturday in western Ukraine, officials said.

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Andriy Parubiy, 54, who also previously served as secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, was killed in the city of Lviv.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemneditas a “horrific murder” and said “all necessary forces and means" would be used in the investigation.

“Unfortunately, the crime was carefully planned,” he said on social media.

Police are still searching for the shooter.

Prosecutors have opened a murder probe but have not mentioned any possible motives.

“An unidentified man fired several shots at the politician, killing Andriy Parubiy on the spot,” the prosecutor general's office said.

Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne cited anonymous sources saying the shooter was dressed as a delivery rider and was on an electric bike.

Photos purporting to show the crime scene were published by Ukrainian media but their authenticity could not be independently verified. They showed a man with a bloodied face lying in the street.

Some of the tributes from Ukrainian officials to Parubiy, who was still a member of parliament, hinted at suspicions of Russian involvement.