Ukrainian parliament backs petition to award Hero of Ukraine title to murdered former MP Parubii

Ukraine’s parliament has supported an appeal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to posthumously award former MP and parliamentary chairman Andrii Parubii the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Source: MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak

Details: According to Zheleznyak, 230 MPs voted in favour of the petition, 1 against, and 55 of the lawmakers present abstained.

The petition to grant Parubii the title of Hero of Ukraine was registered on 2 September by Dmytro Lavraniuk.

The appeal stated that the former chairman had dedicated his life to serving Ukraine, defending its sovereignty, independence and democratic values.

Quote from the petition: "He made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian parliamentarianism and played a key role in ensuring the safety of the Maidan during the events of 2013-2014. His consistent pro-Ukraine stance, dedication to national interests, and contribution to strengthening national security and European integration merit the highest state honour – the title of Hero of Ukraine."

The petition achieved the 25,000 signatures required for presidential consideration on 10 September.

Background:

• On 30 August, Andrii Parubii was shot dead in Lviv. The attacker fired several shots at him before fleeing. The former Verkhovna Rada speaker died at the scene. He was buried on 2 September at Lychakiv Cemetery.
• The suspect, Mykhailo Stselnikov, was detained in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. During early interrogations, he confessed and admitted to having contact with Russian representatives.
• Stselnikov’s son, who served in the 93rd Mechanised Brigade’s reconnaissance unit, was killed in Bakhmut in May 2023. Officially, he has been listed as missing in action since 20 May 2023, as his body was never recovered.
• In court, Stselnikov claimed he killed Parubii as "personal revenge against the Ukrainian authorities". He said he wanted to be exchanged and sent to Russia to "search for his son’s body".
• However, Stselnikov’s ex-wife said their son had been estranged from his father.

The weapon used to kill Parubii has not yet been found.

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