The killer of Iryna Farion has been sentenced to life imprisonment; he was identified and arrested due to the joint efforts of the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Police. The perpetrator shot the Ukrainian linguist near her home in Lviv on 19 July 2024, after which he attempted to flee and go into hiding. 

The law enforcement arrested the hitman within a few days in Dnipro, where he had travelled to lay low and hide from prosecution. 

The convicted man is a 20-year-old native of the Dnipropetrovsk region, who spent more than four months preparing for the high-profile murder. To this end, he had previously purchased a firearm and ammunition on the black market, which he then used to shoot Farion.  

Upon arriving in Lviv, the perpetrator rented three flats in succession to conceal his whereabouts. He also regularly changed his clothes and travel routes whilst monitoring the victim’s daily routine and the sites she frequented. 

The killer shot Iryna Farion near her home in Lviv on 19 July 2024. 

In the hours immediately following the crime, the SSU Counterintelligence compiled an initial body of operational information, which enabled the team to identify the shooter and subsequently establish his location. This information was used in a joint operation with the National Police to track him down and apprehend.  

During the searches, the investigators seized a smartphone from the detainee, which contained material confirming preparations for the murder. 

The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv found the accused guilty under two Articles of the CCU: 

• 115 (sub-paragraphs 8 and 14 of part 2) - intentional murder of a person in connection with the performance of their public duty, committed on grounds of racial, national or religious intolerance;
• 263.1 - unlawful handling of weapons. 

The investigation was conducted under the procedural supervision of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.