Russian propaganda is actively spreading disinformation about Ukrainian politician Andrii Parubii, who was killed on September 30 in Lviv, accusing the former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of organizing the shootings on the Maidan, the arson attack on the Trade Unions House in Odesa, and an alleged “coup d’état” in Ukraine. These narratives are part of a coordinated information war aimed at discrediting Ukraine and its public figures. StopFake has debunked the key propaganda fakes about Andrii Parubii.

Fake 1: Andrii Parubii “commanded snipers” on the Maidan

Debunking: There is no evidence that Andrii Parubii was involved in the shooting of protesters during the Revolution of Dignity in 2013–2014. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, violent crimes and killings on the Maidan were committed by Ukrainian law enforcement officers acting on orders from the authorities in power at the time, under significant influence from Russia. Oleksii Donskyi, head of the Maidan Department, stated that Russia had a “huge influence” on these events, including through cooperation between Russia’s FSB and Ukraine’s SBU in the information sphere.

One of the widely circulated fakes involves photos and videos allegedly showing Parubii helping snipers leave the Hotel Ukraina. In reality, these materials relate to events on April 1, 2014, at the Dnipro Hotel, not February 2014 as claimed by propaganda. This disinformation has been repeatedly debunked by the StopFake project.

Fake 2: Parubii “organized the arson” of the Trade Unions House in Odesa on May 2, 2014

Debunking: The investigation by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine found no evidence linking Andrii Parubii to the events in Odesa on May 2, 2014. The fire at the Trade Unions House was the result of mass riots, not a premeditated act. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the fire started inside the building due to the actions of individuals who threw incendiary bottles to prevent opponents from entering. The “chimney effect” led to the rapid spread of smoke, which caused the deaths of people on staircases and in adjacent spaces.

In 2019, the State Bureau of Investigations opened proceedings following a complaint by pro-Russian politician Andrii Portnov, but this did not result in any charges against Parubii. In 2025, the European Court of Human Rights, in the case Vyacheslavov and Others v. Ukraine, pointed to the inaction of local authorities during the unrest and the role of Russian disinformation in the tragedy, but did not mention Parubii.

Fake 3: Parubii was the “architect of a coup d’état” in Ukraine

Debunking: The narrative about a “coup d’état” is one of the key elements of Russian propaganda, used to justify aggression against Ukraine. The Revolution of Dignity in 2013–2014 was a popular uprising against the corrupt regime of Viktor Yanukovych. After his flight, elections in Ukraine were recognized as legitimate by the international community, including Russia. There is no evidence of a “coup” or of Parubii’s involvement in one.

Fakes about Andrii Parubii are part of a broader Russian propaganda campaign aimed at distorting the history of the Revolution of Dignity and the events in Odesa. Analysis by the Osavul platform revealed a surge of identical comments on social media, indicating coordinated activity by bots or trolls. We encourage readers to verify information and rely only on credible sources in order to counter disinformation.