The liquidation of collaborator Illia Kiva, who is a former Ukrainian parliamentarian, was a special operation conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), an informed law enforcement source has told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

"The liquidation of the top traitor, collaborator and propagandist Illia Kiva was a special operation of the SBU. The criminal was liquidated with firearms," the source said.

Earlier, Russian media reported that Kiva's body was found in Moscow region.

Illia Kiva, born in 1977, worked for the Interior Ministry of Ukraine starting from 2014. He was elected as Head of the Interior Ministry's Trade Union and later he became an advisor to then Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. In 2017-2019, Kiva led the Socialist Party of Ukraine. Until 2022, he was a member of the Verkhovna Rada of the ninth convocation from the pro-Russian party Opposition Platform – For Life. Kiva was a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement.

In March 2022, Kiva was notified of suspicion of high treason and stripped off parliamentary mandate. He was detained in absentia and put on an international wanted list.