Defendant in Parubiy case expresses desire to be exchanged for a Russian

Trial at the Frankivskyi Court: new circumstances in the case

In September 2026, the Frankivskyi District Court in Lviv continued the review of the criminal proceedings involving Mykhailo Stselnikov. He is accused of murdering former Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Andriy Parubiy. During questioning, the defendant handed journalists an open letter in which he expressed his intention to voluntarily travel to the Russian Federation within the framework of a future prisoner of war exchange.

Personal motivation: the loss of a son

In the text of the letter, Stselnikov cites his personal story to explain his decision. He claims that his son, M. M. Stselnikov, was killed on 20 May 2026 in the city of Bakhmut. According to the accused, he fully understands what it means to lose a loved one and to wait for news about them for a long time.

«Мій син, Сцельніков М. М., загинув 20. 05. 2026 року у м. Бахмут. Мені як нікому відомо, що означає втратити рідну людину і місяцями чекати будь-якої звістки про сина (...) Тому я публічно заявляю про своє бажання добровільно поїхати на обмін в РФ та врятувати життя чийогось сина» (My son, M. M. Stselnikov, was killed on 20.05.2026 in the city of Bakhmut. I know better than anyone what it means to lose a loved one and to wait for any news about my son for months (...) Therefore, I publicly declare my desire to voluntarily travel to the Russian Federation for an exchange and to save someone's son's life), Stselnikov stated in his appeal.

Details of the crime preparation

During the court hearing, the defendant also provided testimony regarding the circumstances of the preparation for the crime. He stated that he had been preparing for the murder for a year. According to him, during this period, he was in constant contact with representatives of Russian special services and simultaneously prepared to flee to the territory of the Russian Federation.