A former pro-Russian member of Ukraine's parliament, Illia Kyva, was tragically shot dead in a park in the Odintsovo region southwest of Moscow on Wednesday. The assassination, which Russia's Investigative Committee is currently investigating, has been claimed by Kyiv.

According to the authorities, an unidentified suspect fired shots at Kyva using an unidentified weapon, resulting in his immediate death. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has been cited by news agencies, including Reuters and AFP, as being responsible for the attack.

Kyva, who had been declared a traitor by Ukraine, had been residing in Russia throughout the war and was known for his frequent criticism of Ukrainian authorities on social media. In his absence, he had been sentenced by a Ukrainian court to 14 years in prison, facing charges such as treason and incitement to violence.

In a chilling televised statement, Ukraine's military intelligence spokesperson, Andriy Yusov, acknowledged Kyva's demise, affirming that "such a fate will befall other traitors of Ukraine, as well as the henchmen of the Putin regime." However, Yusov did not disclose who was responsible for the assassination.

In a separate incident on the same day, Oleg Popov, a proxy lawmaker serving in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, was killed in a car bombing attack. The Russian Investigative Committee stated that Popov's death was the result of an "unidentified device" detonating in his vehicle, providing no further details.

It is worth noting that Kyiv has not typically publicly acknowledged its involvement in the killings of pro-Russian individuals, either within Russia or in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. Conversely, Moscow has previously accused Ukraine of orchestrating audacious assassinations within Russian borders.

Recent incidents, such as the car bombing that claimed the life of Russian nationalist Darya Dugina outside Moscow in August 2022, and the explosion at a Saint Petersburg cafe in April that killed Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, have been linked to Ukraine by US intelligence and media reports.

Furthermore, there have been reports of several lower-ranking Ukrainian officials and politicians who have shown support for Russia's invasion and worked for Russian-backed authorities in occupied parts of Ukraine also being targeted and killed.

As investigations into these tragic incidents continue, tensions between Ukraine and Russia are bound to escalate further, deepening the divide between the two nations and raising concerns about the ongoing conflict in the region.