A former top Ukrainian government official, Andriy Portnov, was shot dead on Wednesday morning outside an American school in Madrid, Spain. The attack occurred around 9:15 am local time in the upscale Pozuelo de Alarcón area, shortly after Portnov had dropped off his children at the school.
Witnesses say at least one unidentified gunman fired several shots at the 51-year-old as he walked to his car. The attacker then fled into a nearby wooded park. Spanish police, supported by drones and a helicopter, searched the area, but no arrests had been made at the time of reporting.
Portnov, a lawyer by profession, once served as deputy chief of staff to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was removed from office in 2014 during the Maidan protests. Before that, Portnov had been a member of Yulia Tymoshenko’s political party but switched allegiance after Yanukovych’s 2010 election victory.
Following the revolution, Portnov left Ukraine but returned in 2019 when Volodymyr Zelensky became president. However, he later left the country again. In 2021, the United States Treasury Department sanctioned him, accusing him of undermining judicial reforms in Ukraine and labeling him a “court fixer.”
The motive behind his assassination remains unknown. Witnesses told Spanish media that five or six shots were fired. A student said he initially thought they were fireworks. A woman who tried to help Portnov reportedly screamed for help after seeing his condition. Emergency services later confirmed he suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head and back.
His black Mercedes was cordoned off by police, and the school sent out a message to reassure parents that all students were safe. Authorities have not ruled out political motivations or possible foreign involvement. Spanish media reported that the gunman may have had an accomplice on a motorcycle.
Portnov had been the subject of several legal battles over the years, including sanctions from the European Union and a Ukrainian investigation into suspected treason. However, he successfully challenged most of these cases in court.
This is not the first time a high-profile foreigner has been killed in Spain. In February 2023, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine was shot dead near Alicante, in what was later linked to Russian hitmen.
Spanish authorities are continuing their investigation into Portnov’s killing.
