The daughter of linguist Irina Farion, Sofia Osoba, claims that her mother was targeted for murder on July 17, 2024—just two days before her death. She reported this on social media, sharing a video from surveillance cameras.
According to her, Farion was returning home at 5:13 PM after recording the program "The Gene of Ukrainians" for the NTA channel.
The woman notes that that evening a man, whom she believes to be the murderer, was loitering around the linguist's house dressed warmly in 30-degree heat and wearing gloves.
As per Farion's daughter's account, the assassination attempt failed because her mother entered the building faster than the assailant had anticipated.
She hopes that the suspect, who is currently in custody, will be sentenced to life imprisonment.
"Your next birthday will be where you are now, and there will be many more such birthdays until the end of your life," Osoba addressed the suspect.
Details of Irina Farion's Murder
On July 19, 2024, in Lviv, an unknown assailant shot the renowned linguist and public figure Irina Farion near her home and fled the scene. She sustained a head injury and died in the hospital.
On July 25, an 18-year-old named Vyacheslav Zinchenko was detained in Dnipro, who may be linked to the murder.
He has been charged with intentional homicide (part 1 of article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and taken into custody. The young man denies any wrongdoing.
On December 26, law enforcement announced the completion of the pre-trial investigation and the transfer of the indictment against Zinchenko to court. Based on the evidence collected, the suspect's actions were reclassified. He faces a life sentence.
Zinchenko is accused of intentional murder of a person related to the performance of a public duty, motivated by national intolerance, as well as illegal possession of firearms (paragraphs 8, 14 of part 2 of article 115, part 1 of article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The court has already begun to examine the case concerning Farion's murder. Her daughter demands a payment of 15 million UAH in moral compensation from Zinchenko.