Pro-Russia Former Ukraine Politician Shot Dead Outside School in Spain

 

Pro-Russia Former Ukraine Politician Shot Dead Outside School in Spain

A former Ukrainian politician, identified as Andriy Portnov, was shot and killed outside a school in Madrid, Spain, authorities confirmed. Portnov was a senior aide to Ukraine’s former President Viktor Yanukovych and had been associated with pro-Russian interests.

The incident occurred Wednesday morning outside the American School in Pozuelo de Alarçon, an upscale neighborhood in Madrid. Police responded around 9:15 a.m. after witnesses reported that Portnov was shot multiple times in the head and body by more than one assailant. The attackers fled on foot into a wooded area as the victim was preparing to enter a vehicle.

Portnov’s children are students at the school, according to local reports and witness statements. A student at the school recalled hearing about the shooting during class, initially thinking it was a drill.

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Portnov, previously deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration from 2010 to 2014, was closely linked to Yanukovych’s government. During Yanukovych’s tenure, he was involved in legislation targeting participants of the 2014 revolution. He fled Ukraine for Russia in 2014 and was subject to investigations in Ukraine for treason and embezzlement — charges that were later dropped. The U.S. Treasury Department also indicated in 2021 that he had cultivated connections within Ukraine’s judicial and law enforcement agencies through bribery.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Portnov reportedly fled Ukraine again, despite bans on military-aged men leaving the country. Spain has seen an uptick in high-profile crimes involving Russians and Ukrainians, including previous attacks linked to pro-Kremlin activities.

The motives behind Portnov’s assassination remain unclear, and authorities are investigating.