Ex-Yanukovych adviser Portnov shot dead in Madrid – Reuters
21 May 12:39
This morning, at the gates of the American School in the elite Pozuelo de Alarcon neighborhood on the outskirts of Madrid, an unknown person or persons opened fire on former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov. This was reported by a source close to the investigation, "Komersant Ukrainian" informs with reference to Reuters.
The incident occurred around 9:15 am local time. Madrid police confirmed to Reuters that they had received a report of a shooting, but did not officially identify the deceased.
According to the Spanish radio station Cadena SER, Portnov was driving his children to school at the time of the attack.
Police sources say that a man on a motorcycle was waiting for the victim at the school gate, and when Portnov arrived, he shot him and then fled. A similar modus operandi to the killing of another man in 2018 near another school in Posuelo de Alarcon.
Paramedics confirmed his death as a result of injuries incompatible with life, caused by several gunshot wounds. In particular, four shots to the chest and one to the head.
Forensic police and homicide officers were dispatched to the scene and are conducting an investigation to fully clarify the facts.
While no hypothesis has been ruled out, sources consulted suggest that this could be a case of settling a score.
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What is known about Andriy Portnov
Andriy Portnov worked in the administration of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, and in January 2014 became the first deputy head of the Presidential Administration. After Yanukovych fled, Portnov also left Ukraine and lived abroad for five years.
In March 2014, the European Union imposed sanctions against 18 Ukrainian citizens suspected of misappropriating public funds and involvement in human rights violations. Portnov was among them. In March 2015, the EU extended the sanctions but removed Portnov from the list.
In March 2018, the Security Service of Ukraine opened a treason case against Portnov. Because of this, he filed a lawsuit against the SBU. The case was later closed.
In May 2019, Portnov returned to Ukraine after a five-year absence.
In December 2021, he was subject to US sanctions. He was included in the list of persons under the so-called Magnitsky Act. This list includes high-ranking officials involved in human rights violations and large-scale corruption.
The U.S. Treasury Department explained that as of 2019, Portnov “has taken steps to establish control over Ukrainian courts, change relevant legislation, appoint people close to him to high judicial positions, and ‘buy’ court decisions.”
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