The suspect in the murder of Farion has had the charge reclassified. He now faces the possibility of the death penalty.

The qualification of the crime for the suspect in the murder of public figure Irina Farion, Vyacheslav Zinchenko, has been changed, and the materials have been sent to court. He may face life imprisonment.

This was reported by the National Police. The agency noted that he is now suspected of intentionally killing a person in connection with the performance of their public duty, motivated by national intolerance, as well as illegal handling of weapons.

According to police, in 2022, the suspect in the murder of Farion—a resident of Dnipro, aged 18—joined a group in one of the messengers that promoted a cult of violence and cruelty, as well as racial, national, and religious intolerance and discrimination. Additionally, in 2024, he joined another group linked to a Russian neo-Nazi organization.

"During his time in these groups, the suspect developed a personal dislike for Farion due to her active stance on protecting the Ukrainian language and culture. In the perpetrator's view, her actions were dividing national unity—this led him to have the intention to kill her," the statement reads.

The police stated that the suspect meticulously prepared for the crime—gathering confidential information about the victim's residence and workplace, monitoring her, and developing a detailed murder plan while acquiring firearms.

Investigators from the department for investigating crimes against life and health within the Lviv police's investigative department, under the procedural guidance of the Lviv regional prosecutor's office, changed the qualification of the crime and sent the indictment to court on December 25 under the following articles:

– Part 1 of Article 263 (Illegal handling of weapons, military supplies, or explosive substances)

– Points 8, 14 of Part 2 of Article 115 (Intentional murder of a person in connection with their public duty motivated by national intolerance) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

He faces life imprisonment.

The Murder of Irina Farion — What Is Known

On Friday, July 19, a woman was shot on Masaryk Street in Lviv. It later turned out that this was the well-known linguist Irina Farion.

Around 7:30 PM, an unknown man shot Irina Farion in the temple near her home, after which she was immediately hospitalized. Reports indicated that Farion's condition was extremely critical; she suffered a deep brain coma and then cardiac arrest. Her heart was restarted. Doctors attempted to save her life for several hours, but her condition was too severe, and biological death occurred at 11:20 PM.

It was later revealed that the hitman who attempted to kill Irina Farion used a Makarov pistol. This was reported to "Telegraph" by sources in the National Police.

The investigation is considering several versions of the motives behind the murder of the renowned Ukrainian philologist Irina Farion. These include personal animosity, socio-political activity, and a contract killing.

According to eyewitnesses, before the attempt on Irina Farion's life, a suspicious young man was seen watching her house. He sat on a bench in the yard for two to three weeks, not interacting with anyone and observing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the events. He emphasized that the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine are involved in establishing the circumstances of the crime. The head of state also stated that everyone responsible for this attack should bear full accountability.

The Suspect in Farion's Murder – Who Is He

On Thursday, July 25, the alleged suspect in the murder of Irina Farion was arrested in Dnipro. The operation to apprehend him was carried out by specialists from the National Police of Ukraine, the Security Service, and other agencies. A video surfaced online showing eyewitnesses capturing the arrest of the suspected individual. According to media reports, the arrest took place in the "Paryus" residential area.

Subsequently, one of the major Ukrainian Telegram channels published his photo. It was noted that the probable suspect was born in 2006 and is currently 18 years old.

The detained young man, who is suspected of murdering linguist Irina Farion, is described by neighbors as polite, goal-oriented, and kind. According to them, he would not have attempted to harm the philologist. His father, who serves at the front, insists that he is a patriot and had no motives for committing this crime. His mother claims that he is being used.

The young man was subscribed on social media to several far-right groups. In particular, he followed the public page "Against the System," whose owner, as stated in the description, is blogger Mark Bondarenko, promoting conspiracy theories as well as racist and neo-Nazi ideas.

A preventive measure has been chosen for him. The 18-year-old resident of Dnipro has been remanded in custody for 60 days without the possibility of bail. Lawyer Igor Sulima, who has previously defended suspects in treason and collaboration cases, responded to whether his client could request mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine if he wished. The law provides such an option for certain prisoners. He also assessed the evidence in the case against his client, stating that it is questionable. According to him, in this case, the concept of a body of evidence does not exist at all. Furthermore, Sulima mentioned that the daughter of the murdered Irina Farion, who in court launched threats and curses at the suspect, faces a criminal case.