Sawt Falasteen - Leading politician shot dead in western Ukraine

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 condemned it as 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.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began in 2022 both sides have accused each other of assassinations of key political and military figures.

Russian state media said Parubiy has been wanted by Russian authorities since 2023.

- 'Shot at the heart of Ukraine' -

Educated as a historian, Parubiy had campaigned for Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union as a young man.

He was also a major supporter of the use of the Ukrainian language over Russian -- a highly politicised issue.

During the Maidan protests of 2014, he was a "commander" of opposition self-defence forces.

That same year, Ukrainian media said that he survived an assassination attempt by grenade.

After the ousting of then Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia, Parubiy served on the National Security and Defence Council for several months.

Ex-president Petro Poroshenko, who succeeded Yanukovych, paid tribute to a "brother-in-arms" and said his murder was "a shot at the heart of Ukraine".

"The enemy will never be able to kill the ideals for which Andriy Parubiy lived and fought," he said.

Mustafa Nayem, a key activist in the Maidan protests, remembered Parubiy as "open and able to talk to people on equal terms".

"Andriy always retained his humanity, which was remarkable for someone of his political standing," Nayem told AFP.

- 'Killed by enemy bullets' -

Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov paid tribute to "a statesman, patriot and uncompromising fighter for Ukraine's independence".

He said Parubiy had been "killed by enemy bullets", without elaborating.

Parubiy "dedicated his life to the fight for Ukraine's independence from a very early age," said current parliament speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.

He was "one of the founders of modern Ukraine", said the lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Parubiy had helped Poland evacuate its consulate in Sevastopol during Russia's takeover of Crimea.

"The news of his assassination is shocking," he said.

T.Samara--SF-PST