Gunmen killed a senior aide to former Ukrainian president Viktor F. Yanukovych outside a school in a suburb of Madrid on Wednesday morning, according to Spanish authorities and local news reports.
Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that police responded to an emergency call around 9:15 a.m. regarding a person with gunshot wounds in Pozuelo de Alarcón. The victim was identified as Andriy Portnov, who was shot “several times” in the back and head while getting into a vehicle.
The ministry did not provide further details on potential suspects or a motive, stating only that there were “several” attackers who fled the scene and that a homicide investigation was underway to clarify the events. Local news media noted that Mr. Portnov was shot near the private American School of Madrid, which has not made a public comment on the incident.
Mr. Portnov served as the deputy head of Mr. Yanukovych’s administration from 2010 to 2014, during a time when protests erupted against the president’s decision to forgo closer ties to Europe in favor of closer relations with Moscow. This uprising ultimately led to the ousting of Mr. Yanukovych, who fled to Russia with several allies.
After going into exile, Mr. Portnov retained some influence in Ukraine. Reports indicated that he returned to Ukraine following the 2019 election of President Volodymyr Zelensky but subsequently left again.
In December 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on Mr. Portnov and his charitable foundation due to allegations of corruption and bribery. It remains unclear if Mr. Portnov had been involved in any recent political activities.