Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Monday the arrest of a person suspected of the murder of Andrii Paruby, a figure of the pro-European Maidan revolution and former speaker of the Ukrainian parliament. The operation mobilized "dozens" of members of the security forces, according to the Interior Minister.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday, September 1 ^, the arrest of the alleged perpetrator of the assassination of former Parliament Speaker Andrii Parouby , which occurred Saturday in Lviv , in the west of the country.

The suspect was arrested in the Khmelnytsky region, between Lviv and kyiv, following an operation that involved "dozens" of security forces, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said.

He is a 52-year-old man from Lviv who lived from "odd jobs," according to the deputy head of the Ukrainian police, Andrii Niebytov.

The official stressed that the assassination had been "carefully planned" and indicated that more details would be released by the police later.

"There is a Russian trace in this case," said Ukrainian police chief Ivan Vyguivsky, without providing further details.

In more than three years of war, Ukrainians and Russians have regularly accused each other of assassinations , particularly of political and military officials.

According to the police chief, the killer, disguised as a delivery man, shot Andrii Parubiy eight times and "made sure the victim was dead" before fleeing.

On Saturday, the public broadcaster Suspilne claimed that the shooter was dressed as a delivery man and riding an electric bicycle, citing anonymous sources.

Police released photos of the arrest on Monday showing a man in handcuffs and accompanied by security officers, including two heavily armed, hooded officers.

A "shot in the heart of Ukraine"

The victim, Andrii Parouby, 54, was a leading figure in the pro-European Maidan revolution and had served as speaker of Ukraine's parliament, the Rada, from 2016 to 2019. He was shot dead on Saturday in Lviv, in the west of the country, an assassination that the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, half-heartedly blamed on Russia, with which the country has been at war since February 2022.

Andrii Parouby is particularly known for his role in the major pro-European movements in Ukraine , first the "Orange Revolution" of 2004, then the Maidan in 2014. He was "commander" of the self-defense groups during the Maidan protests, which were bloodily repressed. This movement forced pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych to leave power and flee to Russia in 2014.

This record earned Andrii Parouby a place on the Russian authorities' wanted list, which includes tens of thousands of names, including many Ukrainian officials, as well as Russian and Western figures. In 2014, Andrii Parouby survived an assassination attempt using a combat grenade, according to Ukrainian media.

The announcement of Andrii Parouby's death prompted a flood of tributes from Ukrainian officials. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko paid tribute to a "patriot" who "made a great contribution to the formation of our state."

Another Maidan figure, Mustafa Nayem, praised to AFP the "humanism" of a leader who fought for "important issues."

Former President Petro Poroshenko said that the death of Andrii Parouby was a "shot in the heart of Ukraine," denouncing it as "an act of terror."