Iryna Farion: Former Ukrainian MP and foreign language activist shot dead in Lviv

A former Ukrainian nationalist deputy has died after being shot on the street in the western city of Lviv.

Iryna Farion caused controversy in 2023 by suggesting that “true patriots” of Ukraine should not speak Russian under any circumstances.

Friday’s killing of the 60-year-old language teacher is under investigation and police say it may have been a targeted attack.

Her attacker has not been identified. Police say a power outage affected CCTV in the area.

Lviv regional chief Maksym Kozytskyi said on Telegram that Ms. Farion died in hospital after the shooting.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said it was “not a spontaneous murder” and police are looking for a motive.

“We already have several versions. The main ones, I can say, are (related to) Farion’s social and political activities and personal dislike,” he said in a statement via the Telegram messaging service.

“We do not rule out that the crime was committed,” he added.

“All versions are being investigated, including the one leading to Russia,” he said.

The nationalist political party Svoboda (Freedom) Ms Farion was a member of which she directly accused Russia of the murder.

“Moscow is shooting at the temple for the Ukrainian language,” it said in a statement.

In 2023, Ms. Farion said that true patriots of Ukraine should not speak Russian in any situation, including in the front line, because it is the language of the aggressor country.

She described Russian as “the language of the enemy, which kills, discriminates, insults and rapes me”, and added: “How crazy would you have to be to fight in the Ukrainian army and speak Russian?”

Her words caused a strong reaction in Ukraine at the time, with people accusing her of inciting hatred based on linguistic preferences.

She was fired from a university in western Ukraine and was investigated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

In May, the Court of Appeal in Lviv reportedly issued a decision reinstating her in this position.