Lviv court sentences Vyacheslav Zinchenko to life for Iryna Farion murder

October 1, 2026 at 05:34 PM2 min

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The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv sentenced Vyacheslav Zinchenko to life imprisonment on October 1 for the murder of linguist Iryna Farion. The verdict followed a 14-month investigation involving more than 60 expert examinations and over 1,500 witness interviews. Police released evidence including DNA traces and Telegram messages in which Zinchenko called himself a 'society's sanitizer.'

Key Facts

The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv sentenced Vyacheslav Zinchenko to life imprisonment on October 1, 2026.
Iryna Farion was shot near her home on July 19, 2024, and died hours later at St. Panteleimon Hospital.
Zinchenko was detained in Dnipro on July 25, 2024, at the age of 18.
The investigation included more than 60 expert examinations and over 1,500 witness interviews.
Police found Zinchenko's DNA and scent traces on a bench near the victim's building entrance.

The Verdict

The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv announced the verdict on October 1, 2026, after closing arguments concluded on September 17, 2026. Zinchenko was convicted of intentional murder connected with the performance of civic duty and motivated by national intolerance, as well as unlawful handling of firearms. The charges fell under Clauses 8 and 14 of Part 2 of Article 115 and Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Prosecutor Dmytro Petlovanyi reported that more than 60 expert examinations were ordered during the pretrial investigation.

Evidence Released

Following the sentencing, the National Police of Ukraine released key evidence proving Zinchenko's guilt. Law enforcement conducted more than 1,500 interviews and 92 forensic analyses, including ballistic and facial recognition tests. The analyses confirmed the defendant's presence at the crime scene and that the shot was fired from a distance of two meters. Investigators found Zinchenko's DNA and scent traces on a bench near the victim's building entrance. Police also found saved Telegram messages in which Zinchenko referred to himself as a 'society's sanitizer.'

Investigation Timeline

Iryna Farion was shot near her home on the evening of July 19, 2024, and taken to St. Panteleimon Hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. Doctors performed surgery, but her condition remained critical, and the hospital announced several hours later that they had been unable to save her. On July 21, law enforcement announced a search for a man who might have been involved in the murder. An 18-year-old man was detained in Dnipro on July 25, 2024, on suspicion of the crime. The Halytskyi District Court of Lviv ordered the suspect held without bail on July 26, 2024, and disclosed his name as Vyacheslav Zinchenko.