Nationalist Ukrainian Ex-MP Shot Dead in Lviv

A former Ukrainian parliament member and nationalist, Iryna Farion, was shot and killed in Lviv. Farion, known for her campaigns to promote the Ukrainian language, died in hospital. Authorities are treating the shooting as an attempted assassination and are actively searching for the perpetrator.

A gunman on Friday shot and killed Iryna Farion, a nationalist former member of Ukraine's parliament, known for her fierce defense of the Ukrainian language.

Police have launched an extensive search for the suspect accused of shooting Farion, 60, on a street in Lviv. Lviv Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi reported on Telegram that Farion succumbed to her injuries after being taken to a hospital. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated that the incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated he was receiving regular updates on the efforts to capture the gunman, emphasizing that any act of violence is condemnable. Farion, a linguist, became a member of the nationalist Svoboda party in 2005 and was elected to parliament in 2012, although she was unsuccessful in later elections. She also served on the Lviv regional council.

Farion gained notoriety for her frequent campaigns to promote the Ukrainian language and discredit public officials who spoke Russian. In 2018, during the conflict with Russian-backed separatists in the east, she called for aggressive actions against Russian speakers.

In the initial months of the February 2022 Russian invasion, she criticized Russian-speaking fighters of the Azov regiment who defended Mariupol for three months. Although Ukrainian is the official state language, many residents still speak Russian, a remnant of Soviet-era policies. The promotion of the Ukrainian language has been a critical issue, with legislation passed to enforce its use in public life and the service industry.

(With inputs from agencies.)