Authorities have confirmed the shooting of Andriy Portnov, a former aide to pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, outside a school in Madrid. The motive of the attack remains unknown, and the shooter has yet to be apprehended.
Former Ukrainian Official Killed in Shooting Outside Madrid School
Former Ukrainian Official Killed in Shooting Outside Madrid School
Andriy Portnov, a key figure in Ukraine's political landscape, was shot dead in a shocking incident near an American school in Spain.
A former prominent Ukrainian official, Andriy Portnov, was fatally shot outside an American school in Madrid, Spain, authorities have confirmed. Portnov, aged 51 and a significant figure in the administration of ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, had just dropped off his children at the Pozuelo de Alarcón school and was heading to his car in the parking lot when he was attacked.
Witnesses reported that an unidentified assailant fired multiple shots before fleeing into a wooded area nearby. The shooting occurred around 09:15 local time (07:15 GMT), shortly after students entered the school. Notably, one witness, a student, mistook the gunfire for fireworks due to its volume.
A seasoned politician, Portnov served as a member of parliament and deputy head in Yanukovych's administration, switching allegiance from Yulia Tymoshenko's party when Yanukovych ascended to the presidency in 2010. Following the 2014 revolution in Ukraine, Portnov relocated but returned to his homeland in 2019, only to leave again in 2021 after being sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for actions detrimental to judicial reform.
Despite extensive searches involving police drones and helicopters, no suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting. Initial reports suggest that the shooter may have been accompanied by a motorcyclist and described as a thin man in a blue tracksuit.
Portnov's tragic death echoes a previous incident involving a Colombian drug trafficker killed in a similar setting in 2018. The motives behind Portnov’s murder remain unclear. His body has been sent for a post-mortem examination while the school assured parents that all students were safe during the incident. Portnov had previously faced legal challenges, including sanctions from the European Union, which he successfully contested in court, and an investigation by Ukraine's SBU regarding alleged treason linked to Russia's annexation of Crimea.
