The suspect in the murder of Irina Farion was probably involved in the Russian special services, and also had the intention of committing a crime against the current people's deputy Maxim Buzhansky.
This became known during a press briefing by the Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Klymenko in Lviv, where representatives of the National Police, the SBU and the Office of the Prosecutor General were also present.
The murder of Irina Farion: investigation of the crime
According to the minister, several investigative experiments were conducted, and law enforcement officers thoroughly established all the suspect's activities and actions in preparation for the probable crime over the course of a week.
Now watching
The head of the National Police Ivan Vyhovskyi reported that 900 witnesses were questioned as part of the criminal proceedings, and more than 9,000 photographs from the Safe Lviv region cameras were processed. Law enforcement officers also processed 22 forensic examinations, and analysts identified and processed more than 80 people similar in appearance.
One of the most difficult stages in the investigation was establishing the identity of the suspect, says Klimenko, since he carefully hid his face during the preparation of the probable crime.
Law enforcement officers also found a sports cartridge case 9 by 18 at the crime scene. Similar bullets were manufactured in Ukraine in 2017-2018. Investigators are determining where exactly the suspect purchased it.
Selection of a preventive measure
Deputy Prosecutor General Anton Voitenko stated that the investigation is being conducted under Part 1 of Article 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Prosecutors in the Galitsky District Court will petition to select a preventive measure for the detainee in the form of detention without the alternative of posting bail.
Preparation for a crime
According to law enforcement, the suspect arrived in Lviv on July 9 by train from Dnipro.
For the purpose of conspiracy, the suspect changed his place of residence in Lviv, for which he rented three different premises in turn. According to the investigation, the suspect moved into one of the rented apartments through the Booking service. On July 14, and then on July 18, he changed his place of residence. The suspect chose apartments with a specific feature, so that they had balconies.
Over the 10 days that he lived in Lviv, he spent about 10 thousand UAH, and law enforcement officers established the sources of this money. However, this information will not be disclosed in the near future.
Upon arrival in Lviv on July 9, the suspect picked up a parcel from Dnipro from Nova Poshta, which he sent to himself. The parcel contained personal items that were used to spy on Irina Farion. The suspect had been buying these clothes in Dnepr since May, through online stores. According to investigators, the items included a shoulder bag, which likely contained a weapon.
A representative of the SBU stated that one of the versions of Irina Farion's murder is the suspect's cooperation with the special services of the terrorist state of Russia. In addition, checks are being carried out regarding the connections of the murder suspect with Nazi organizations on the territory of the Russian Federation.
On the day of the murder itself, July 19, the suspect was walking in the courtyard where Irina Farion lived. A few seconds before the murder, the probable killer was wearing red gloves, and the shot was fired while the deceased was waiting for a taxi.
According to the investigation, the killer approached Farion at a distance of about 2 m before firing.
After committing the crime, the suspect fled the scene of the murder, and two days later, on July 21, he took a train from Lviv to Dnipro.
Detention of the suspect
Already on July 26, special forces broke into the suspect's apartment, which is located on the 8th floor of one of the residential buildings Dnepr.
The suspect's mother was taken out of the apartment, and the guy himself was then detained.
While checking the phone, investigators found correspondence in which he described his worldview. Due to the large volume of correspondence, police and SBU officers are still working on him.
In addition, during the arrest, evidence was found on the phone, partially indicating that the suspect was preparing to commit a crime. Thus, among the search queries were sites selling weapons, as well as thematic news about Irina Farion. In addition, a book was found entitled Secret instructions of the CIA and KGB on the collection of facts, conspiracy and disinformation.
In addition, the suspect left a farewell letter in which he wrote that he did not want to tell anyone about the crime, because he was worried about his father, who is an active military man. It is noteworthy that the boy's mother works in one of the educational institutions.
The suspect's intentions
According to law enforcement, the suspect also had search queries in his browser regarding the current MP Maksym Buzhansky. The search from the suspect's phone, in particular, contained the queries “pro-Russian deputies of Ukraine”, “when is the meeting of the regional councils of Ukraine”, “when is the meeting of the Vinnytsia regional council”. All these queries were made 2 days after the murder of Irina Farion, namely — July 21.
— I think she (Irina Farion, — Ed.) was the most defenseless. Because we showed you his search table. I can reveal one name to you: the next one he looked at was Max Buzhansky. I will keep quiet about all the other names, said Igor Klimenko.
It is noteworthy that MP Buzhansky has already responded to the information from law enforcement officers.
— I am infinitely grateful to the National Police officers and all those involved in the arrest of the suspect in the murder of Irina Farion, I owe them my life. I hope that the investigation will identify everyone involved in this crime, and Farion's killers, perpetrators and organizers will receive the punishment they deserve, — he wrote.
In the search table that law enforcement officers demonstrated, the names in the suspect's queries were hidden.
