Sawt Falasteen - Leading political figure shot dead in 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.

Prosecutors have opened a murder probe and said police were still searching for the shooter but have not mentioned possible motives at this stage.

"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 to Parubiy from Ukrainian officials hinted at suspicions against Russia.

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

- 'Patriot' -

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

Educated as a historian, Parubiy was also a major supporter of the use of the Ukrainian language over Russian -- a highly political 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 it 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, calling the killing "an act of terror".

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko hailed Parubiy as a "patriot" who "made a great contribution to the creation of our state".

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.

J.Saleh--SF-PST