Former Russian lawmaker shot dead in Ukrainian capital

Nemtsova says Voronenkov was considered a traitor by many Russians.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko described Voronenkov’s murder as an act of Russian “state terrorism”. “The clear signature of the Russian special services has appeared several times across different European capitals”.

Moscow denied any involvement in Voronenkov’s murder.

Ukrainian law allows banning anyone who enters Crimea by routes other than over its de-facto border with the Ukrainian mainland.

Mr Voronenkov, 45, a former member of the communist faction in the lower house of Russian parliament, had moved to Ukraine last autumn and had been granted Ukrainian citizenship.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, identified the man who shot Voronenko on Thursday as 28-year old Pavel Parshov and said he had been trained in Russia by Russian security services.

Russian Federation officially charged him last month.

“We are continuing our dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities with the ambition to have all artists present to perform in host city, Kiev, which is, of course, our preferred option”, said Jon Ola Sand, who is the executive supervisor for Eurovision Song Contest. The Russia-friendly leader was ousted by massive protests in February 2014.

After Yanukovych left Ukraine, Voronenkov repeatedly lambasted the country’s new, pro-Western authorities. In the same interview with Radio Free Europe in February, he called Russia’s annexation of Crimea a “mistake” and likened the mood and political process in Russian Federation to Nazi Germany.

“The man who killed Voronenkov did have a National Guard background”.

Ukraine’s chief prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, said Voronenkov was killed shortly before meeting with another fugitive Russian lawmaker, Ilya Ponomaryov. Ponomarev was the only Russian lawmaker to vote against the annexation of Crimea. Sberbank and VTB have both said they are looking at options to leave Ukraine.

“So, to say that Ukraine is suffering from Russophobia is a joke”, Fesenko said.

“After the couple moved to Ukraine, Ukrainian and Anglo-Saxon media started promoting them”. Who does such a killing benefit?

“The system has lost its mind”, Voronenkov said of his homeland.

Voronenkov had been granted Ukrainian citizenship previous year after losing an election and switching allegiance following the ousting of the country’s pro-Russian leadership.