Accused Ukrainian Politicians Killer Claims Sole Responsibility, Denies Russian Links

A man charged with the murder of a well-known pro-Western Ukrainian politician confessed on Tuesday to committing the crime but claimed he acted independently and did not have any ties to Russia.

«My actions were motivated by personal vengeance against the Ukrainian government,» stated Mykhailo Stselnikov in a video shared by Ukrainian news sources. «I acknowledge that I killed him.» When asked if he collaborated with Russian intelligence, he responded with a definitive, «No.»

Stselnikov, 52, was taken into custody late Sunday for allegedly shooting Andriy Parubiy, a former speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, in Lviv. Surveillance footage reportedly captured the shooter, disguised as a courier, firing multiple rounds before escaping the scene.

Parubiy was a prominent leader in Ukraine’s pro-European protest movements during 2004 and 2014. Russian state media reported that he was added to a wanted list by Moscow in 2023.

On Monday, Ukrainian police described the attack as “meticulously planned” and suggested a connection to Russia, although specific details were not disclosed. President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the murder as «atrocious.»

Since Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022, both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of orchestrating assassinations targeting political and military figures.