Former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov shot dead outside school in Madrid

Andriy Portnov, a former senior adviser to Ukraine’s pro-Russia ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, was shot and killed outside a private school in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Spanish authorities confirmed that unidentified gunmen ambushed Portnov in Pozuelo de Alarcón, a wealthy suburb of the Spanish capital, near the American School of Madrid.

According to Spain’s Interior Ministry, the attackers targeted Portnov as he was getting into his black Mercedes-Benz after dropping off his children at school.

Several assailants opened fire, shooting him in the back and the head before fleeing into a nearby wooded area.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting but were unable to save him.

Reports from Madrid’s emergency services stated that Portnov had been hit by at least three bullets.

The school’s car park was immediately cordoned off as police launched a manhunt for the suspects.

Security efforts included the deployment of helicopters and drones to track the shooters.

Local media suggested that classes at the school had already started about 30 minutes before the attack occurred.

Portnov, 52, was widely known as a controversial political figure in Ukraine with strong pro-Russian leanings.

He played a key role in Yanukovych’s administration from 2010 to 2014, serving as Deputy Head and then First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration.

He was instrumental in shaping laws that cracked down on anti-government protesters during the Euromaidan uprising.

It ultimately led to Yanukovych’s ousting in 2014.

Following the change in government, Portnov fled Ukraine.

He was initially reported to be living in Russia and later moved to Austria.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, he had been residing in Madrid since at least April 2024.

Portnov had been subject to multiple investigations over the years.

In 2018, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) accused him of treason, alleging his involvement in aiding Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

That case was closed in 2019. Additionally, in 2021, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him for alleged corruption.

The sanctions claimed Portnov attempted to manipulate Ukraine’s judiciary by placing loyal officials in senior positions and influencing court decisions.

He was also previously sanctioned by the European Union, though those restrictions were eventually lifted.

His assassination is the latest in a string of violent incidents in Spain involving individuals linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Spain has become an unexpected backdrop for international political intrigue in recent years.

In 2022, six letter bombs were sent to various targets across the country.

These included the offices of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the U.S. and Ukrainian embassies, and government departments.

A retired Spanish civil servant opposed to Western support for Ukraine was later convicted for orchestrating the attacks.

Another high-profile case occurred in February 2024 when a Russian helicopter pilot who had defected to Ukraine was found shot dead in a parking garage near Alicante, a coastal city in southeastern Spain.

The pilot had previously participated in a secret defection operation arranged by Ukrainian intelligence.

Wednesday’s shooting marks the second high-profile assassination in Madrid in recent years.

In 2023, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, a prominent Spanish right-wing politician and former Vice President of the European Parliament, survived after being shot in the face by a masked gunman.

Though five people were arrested in connection to that case, the shooter, a French national of Tunisian origin with a history of convictions, remains at large.

As of now, Spanish police have not released information about potential suspects in Portnov’s killing.

Investigators are exploring various possible motives, including political retribution, organized crime, and espionage.

The brazen nature of the attack, carried out in broad daylight near a school, has raised alarm about the reach of international tensions into European cities.

Authorities continue to search for the gunmen and are analyzing security footage from the area.

No arrests have yet been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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