The Murder of Iryna Farion: Nebitov Discusses the Investigation and a Gap in the Zinchenko Case
Russian intelligence agencies were not behind Vyacheslav Zinchenko, who was convicted of the murder of linguist and civil rights activist Iryna Farion. At the same time, prior to the crime, Zinchenko had joined a far-right Russian movement.
Zinchenko’s personality and views suggest that he may have acted on his own, guided by his own convictions.
“You see, by nature, the defendant belongs to the category of people who consider themselves smarter than others. At age 18, he dubbed himself the ‘sanitizer of society,’ read several neo-Nazi and ‘KGB-style’ books, and decided he was capable of enacting his own ‘justice.’ Perhaps half a century ago, solving a criminal offense of this kind would have been a significant challenge. Today, thanks to modern methods and systems—and especially the ‘Safe City’ video surveillance technology—such crimes are investigated more efficiently,” Nebitov stated.
At the same time, one of the unresolved details in the Zinchenko case remains the weapon used to kill Irina Farion.
The criminal case file indicates that investigators found a gray metal shell casing marked “9×18 Makarov” at the crime scene. However, the actual murder weapon has not yet been found.
According to the ballistics report, Zinchenko fired from a non-standard 9x18 mm self-loading firearm. It could have been manufactured or modified by hand from a Makarov-type pistol or a similar weapon.
The verdict also notes a detail regarding Zinchenko’s behavior after the crime. He took out trash bags three times from his last rented apartment on Lesia Ukrainka Street in Lviv. Zinchenko left the apartment on July 20, 2024—the day after Faryon’s murder.
Investigators speculate that the defendant may have been attempting to conceal evidence of the crime in this manner.
It took law enforcement six days from the time of Iryna Farion’s murder to identify the suspect.
According to then-Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko, virtually the entire Lviv police force and some units from the Lviv Regional Police were mobilized to search for the shooter.
Operatives from the capital and investigative teams led by deputy heads of the National Police and the SBU also joined the investigation.
Andriy Nebitov reported that by the evening of July 19, 2024, law enforcement officers had already interviewed about ten witnesses.
The witnesses saw Iryna Farion, as well as a man in camouflage clothing who killed her. One of the witnesses had a photograph of the future defendant on his phone. The man had taken a photo of him beforehand because of his unusual appearance.
At the same time, investigators began reviewing hundreds of gigabytes of footage from Lviv’s surveillance cameras.
According to Nebitov, on July 23, 2024, law enforcement officers obtained confirmation through an operational investigation that Vyacheslav Zinchenko from Dnipro might be involved in the murder.
The next day, law enforcement identified the house in Dnipro where Zinchenko lived and set up surveillance on him.
The police did not know whether Zinchenko’s apartment was booby-trapped, whether he had weapons at home, or whether he might be planning to commit suicide. That is why they decided to carry out the arrest during daylight hours.
On July 25, members of the “Kord” special forces unit arrested Vyacheslav Zinchenko at his home.
Nebitov noted that when investigating particularly serious crimes, law enforcement pays close attention to every detail.
According to him, physical evidence is examined two to three times more thoroughly, and witness interviews and other investigative actions are conducted with equal care.
A separate issue in the case remains determining the whereabouts of the weapon used to kill Iryna Farion.
This was reported by Andriy Nebitov, deputy head of the National Police and chief of the criminal police.
Law enforcement officials have not yet identified any possible instigators of the murder of linguist and civil society activist Iryna Farion. Nor has the investigation uncovered any individuals who may have collaborated with the convicted Vyacheslav Zinchenko or been his followers.
Sofia Osoba, the daughter of linguist Iryna Farion, called the verdict against Vyacheslav Zinchenko—who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her mother—historic. Sofia Osoba also explained how she plans to allocate the 5 million hryvnias that the convicted man is required to pay.
The defense team for Vyacheslav Zinchenko, who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of linguist Iryna Farion, is filing an appeal against the decision of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv. On October 1, attorney Tetyana Musykhina stated that the case was completely fabricated and insists on her client’s innocence.
