Andrii Portnov, a former high-ranking Ukrainian official and ally of pro-Russian ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, was shot by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday morning. Spanish police report that the attack took place in Madrid, outside the American School, where he was targeted while approaching his car. He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the head and back.
The incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. local time. As reported by CNN, the assailants fled on a motorcycle towards a nearby wooded area. Spanish authorities have not yet made any arrests and are investigating the motives behind this brazen execution.
A Controversial Figure
The 51-year-old Portnov held significant roles in Yanukovych’s administration, including Deputy Chief of Staff in 2010 and Head of Ukraine’s Judicial Reform Directorate. He was also a Board Member of the National Bank of Ukraine. Portnov became synonymous with distancing Ukraine from a pro-European stance and enhancing ties with Russia, a shift that sparked the mass protests of 2014 leading to Yanukovych’s ousting.
Following the government’s collapse, Portnov left Ukraine amid scrutiny of his financial activities. In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions against him for widespread corruption and bribery, alleging that he undermined institutional reforms. The U.S. Treasury cited “credible allegations” of bribing officials and interfering in the judiciary.
International Outrage and His Departure from Ukraine
As early as 2014, Canada had frozen his assets amid sanctions targeting “corrupt officials of foreign governments.” At the same time, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) initiated an investigation into his alleged role in the annexation of Crimea by Russia, although that case was later dropped.
By 2022, shortly after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Portnov managed to leave the country despite a travel ban on men of military age, as uncovered by a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty investigation.
Spanish authorities, alongside Interpol and Ukrainian services, are expected to investigate Portnov’s inner circle and any potential international networks he was associated with.
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