A neo-Nazi group called National-Socialism/White Power (NS/WP) has claimed responsibility for the recent murder of Irina Farion, a former Ukrainian ultranationalist lawmaker.
Farion, who represented the far-right Svoboda (Freedom) party in the Ukrainian parliament from 2012 to 2014, was known for her hardline Russophobic stance. She was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.
On Wednesday, July 24, several Ukrainian and Russian media outlets discovered a video on the NS/WP Telegram channel that allegedly shows the moment Farion was critically wounded.
The 10-second clip, mostly obscured by a finger over the lens, captures several gunshots and a woman screaming in the background. Despite the unclear footage, some outlets overlaid the clip with publicly available videos, identifying commonalities such as specific cars seen in each video.
The video post included a message in Russian: "I take responsibility for the elimination of the saboteur and racial traitor Irina Farion," promising further retaliation against other "enemies of Ukrainians."
The alleged killer claimed he murdered Farion because she incited divisions in Ukraine based on language and he thanked the Ukrainian military for their fight against Russia.
"I'm not interfering with you; on the contrary, I’m working for your good. While you are fighting the external enemy, I am fighting the internal one," the message stated.
The National Police of Ukraine are investigating the post and analyzing the video for additional clues. Law enforcement agencies identified the prime suspect as a slender man in his 20s, with local media suggesting he had been preparing the attack for a long time.
Suspect in Farion's murder arrested
On Thursday, July 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that an 18-year-old suspect in the murder case had been arrested in the city of Dnepr following a "difficult" operation.
Farion gained attention last year for her critical remarks about top officers of Ukraine's 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, which includes many members of the former neo-Nazi Azov regiment, over their use of Russian.
Her comments led to a fierce backlash, her dismissal from the Lviv Polytechnic and an investigation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on charges of discrimination.
Lviv regional head Maksym Kozytskyi announced on Telegram that Farion succumbed to her injuries in the hospital. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated that the killing was not spontaneous and that police are investigating several possible motives.
"We already have several versions. The main ones, I can say, are linked to Farion's social and political activities and personal dislike," Klymenko said via Telegram. He added that a commissioned nature for the murder could not be ruled out.
Zelensky earlier announced a major police operation to investigate the killing, including the possibility of a connection to Russia. The hardline nationalist Svoboda blamed Russia directly for the murder, stating, "Moscow shoots in the temple for the Ukrainian language."
In 2023, Farion declared that true Ukrainian patriots should avoid speaking Russian, even on the front lines, as it is the language of the aggressor. She described Russian as "the language of the enemy, who kills, discriminates, insults and rapes me," and questioned the sanity of those fighting in the Ukrainian army while speaking Russian. Her remarks led to widespread backlash in Ukraine, with accusations of inciting hatred based on linguistic preferences.
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