Ukraine lawmaker says speaker was involved in 2014 killings

MOSCOW – A former military pilot who became a national icon in Ukraine after spending two years in a Russian prison has accused Ukraine's parliament speaker of being associated with snipers who fired on the crowds during the country's 2014 uprising.

Lawmaker Nadiya Savchenko told journalists Thursday that she saw Andriy Parubiy, a key organizer of massive protests that drove Ukraine's former Russia-friendly president from power, leading snipers into a hotel next to the capital's main square, the Maidan.

Unidentified snipers killed dozens on the Maidan in February 2014, triggering public anger and leading to the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Parubiy made no immediate comment, but Ukraine's prosecutor responded by accusing Savchenko of plotting to overthrow the government.