Well-known politician in West Ukraine shot
The right-nationalist Ukrainian ex-MP Iryna Farion takes radical action against the widespread Russian language in Ukraine. Until she is shot in the head. According to the Russian account, God has a hand in it.
In the western part of Ukraine, the well-known right-nationalist former parliamentarian Iryna Farion was shot in the head. The 60-year-old succumbed to her injuries in Lviv Hospital. The police and intelligence service personnel are reportedly searching for the perpetrator, according to Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Farion had primarily fought against the widespread Russian language with radical statements. Her right-nationalist party Swoboda therefore suspects a Russian connection in the murder case.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack on Farion and instructed Interior Minister Klymenko and the head of the security service Vasyl Malyuk to solve the crime. The perpetrators must be held accountable, the head of state said. Farion was seriously wounded by a shot to the temple near her home on Friday evening. Doctors in the hospital were unable to save her life.
Interior Minister Klymenko sees a connection between the murder and Farion's social and political activities. "The main versions being considered at the moment are personal enmity, social and political activities of Mrs. Farion. We cannot exclude the possibility of an assassination," wrote the Minister on Telegram. He also did not exclude a Russian connection.
Philologist buys drones herself
Farion had also faced criticism from the Ukrainian justice system due to her statements against the Russian-speaking population. She lost her position at the university, where she taught Ukrainian as a philologist, due to protests from students. Among other things, the professor sharply criticized that many Ukrainian soldiers at the front continued to speak Russian. For the fight against the Russian aggression war, she reportedly bought drones for herself.
Farion was often criticized for dividing Ukrainian society. However, the Russian state propaganda took the news of the politician's death with satisfaction. "Iryna Farion, who dreamed of 'complete elimination' of the Russian-speaking population, has been eliminated. God settles things there without us," wrote the editor-in-chief of the Russian state television channel RT, Margarita Simonyan.
The Russian state propaganda celebrated the death of Iryna Farion, a prominent Ukrainian right-nationalist figure known for her anti-Russian stance and aggressive rhetoric towards the Russian-speaking population. Despite facing criticism for her divisive actions and being associated with the purchase of drones for the fight against Russian aggression, Farion's death was met with satisfaction in Russian state media.
Amidst the investigation into Farion's murder, the Ukrainian authorities are considering various motives, including personal enmity and her social and political activities. Due to her controversial statements against the Russian language and the Russian-speaking population, Farion's right-nationalist party, Swoboda, has suspicions of Russian involvement in her assassination.
