The former ultranationalist deputy and linguistics professor Irina Farion, deeply divisive figure known for his controversial views A woman accused of using the Russian language in Ukraine has been murdered in Lviv, a killing that has drawn condemnation in Ukraine. According to witnesses, Farion, 60, was approached on the street where she lived by an unidentified man who shot her in the head and fled.

The attack occurred around at 7:30 p.m.when a man between 20 and 25 years old approached the former MP as she was walking down the street and shot her. According to local authorities, she was taken to hospital in critical condition that evening, where she died several hours later.

His death was initially confirmed by the governor of the Lviv region, Maksim Kozitski, on his Telegram account, while the Minister of the Interior, Igor Klimenko, announced the beginning of an operation to arrest the person responsible of what he has described as a “planned murder.” “Any act of violence only deserves condemnation “And all those responsible for this attack must bear full responsibility,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Farion, 60 years old and a linguist by profession, served as a deputy between 2012 and 2024 of the ultra-nationalist Svoboda party and was particularly known for her inflammatory speeches against the Russian language. The killer had been planning the attack for weeks, according to Interior Minister Igor Klimenko.

Defender of Ukrainian but with a controversial style

Police are considering several possible motives, among them public and political activity Farion, as well as a personal animosity towards her. The Svoboda political party, which Farion represented in the Lviv regional council between 2008 and 2012 and in the country’s parliament from 2012 to 2014, believes Russia is to blame for her murder.

“The murder of Irina Farion was carried out on the orders of Moscow, regardless of what bastard will carry it out directly“He stressed, noting that Farion’s staunch defense of the Ukrainian language made her a target. Farion won popularity among some voters for her calls to expand the use of the Ukrainian language in public and believed that continued use of the Russian language weakened the country and contributed to it becoming a target of Russian aggression.

According to his supporters, Farion also deserved recognition for the investigation he conducted into how Moscow consistently limited the use of the Ukrainian language in an attempt to erode Ukrainian national identity during the centuries it controlled much of the country.

However, his radicalism and highly controversial style ended up eroding much of the support, dleaving her on the sidelines of political life, as nationalist forces, including Svoboda, failed to win any seats in parliament after 2014.