Ukrainian ex-politician Portnov shot dead in Spain: Everything we know so far

Key questions:

• Where did Portnov's murder take place?
• Were the shooters apprehended?
• What does the local police say?
• Who is Andriy Portnov, and what is known from his biography?
• How did Portnov's murder happen?

2:59 p.m.

Eyewitnesses report that one of the attackers was tall, thin, dressed in black, and carrying an orange bag. Another source (Los Replicantes) describes the attacker as wearing a blue tracksuit with a waist bag.

Spanish media indicate that the attack was well planned and that the resembles the work of professional hitmen. The perpetrators fled in the direction of Casa de Campo Park, where police are currently conducting an active search.

In turn, El Mundo writes that it is unknown how long Portnov had been living in Spain, but his children attend the American School in the municipality of Pozuelo de Alarcón. The newspaper states that he lived in a house very close to this elite institution.

The outlet adds that just before the attack, he had dropped off his two daughters at school. The motives for the crime have not yet been established, but two main theories are being considered: debts or political reasons.

How did the attack happen?

The first reports of Portnov's murder came from Spanish media and the news agency Reuters. Later, RBC-Ukraine's sources within the Security Forces also confirmed that the former Ukrainian politician had been killed.

Spanish radio station Cadena SER reported that Portnov was shot near the gates of the American School in the affluent municipality of Pozuelo (a suburb of Madrid). The media noted that this occurred while the man was dropping his children off at school.

According to media reports, the incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. Police received a report of a man with gunshot wounds lying outdoors. Paramedics confirmed his death upon arrival, noting injuries incompatible with life.

Spanish media reported that Portnov sustained four gunshot wounds to the chest and one to the head (the fatal shot).

Later, the outlet El País released further details about the murder of the former Ukrainian politician. Journalists wrote that the shooting began while Portnov was dropping his children off at school and was behind the wheel of a Mercedes.

“The victim was about to get into a Mercedes when he was suddenly approached by two or three attackers, who shot him five times and fled the scene into a wooded area,” El País reports.

Spanish media cite a “debt issue” as the preliminary motive for the killing.

Is it known who shot him?

At this time, none of the attackers have been apprehended. It is reported that there may have been two or three shooters, who fired five shots - to the head and chest. Local police are not disclosing details about the type of weapon used, explaining that “the investigation has just begun.”

“There’s a lot of confusion right now. We are in shock and trying to organize a response,” a staff member of the American School, near which the murder occurred, told El País.

She confirmed the incident happened in front of the school but added that she did not know whether the victim was the parent of any students there.

“We don’t know anything. The police are the only ones who can provide more information… The incident happened about half an hour after classes started, so neither the children nor their parents saw anything. At the moment, the school is operating normally, but the administration is meeting to decide what to do next,” she added.

Who was Andriy Portnov?

Andriy Portnov was born on October 27, 1973, in Luhansk (currently temporarily occupied by Russia). He graduated from the East Ukrainian State University with a law degree. He earned a PhD in Economics and a Doctorate in Law. He was a professor at the Faculty of Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Portnov was a former Ukrainian politician and lawyer. He served as a Member of Parliament in the 5th and 6th convocations (2006–2007, 2007–2010). From 2005 to 2010, he headed the legal department of Yulia Tymoshenko’s election campaign headquarters.

From April 2, 2010, until the end of February 2014, he served as the Head of the Main Department for Judiciary Matters in the Administration of President Viktor Yanukovych, and later as Deputy Head (from January 24, 2014, First Deputy Head) of the Presidential Administration.

During Euromaidan, he was involved in the adoption of the controversial "January 16 laws" (ten laws restricting freedom of speech and freedom of assembly passed by the Parliament of Ukraine on January 16, 2014 ). After the Revolution of Dignity, he fled Ukraine. In 2014–2015, he was under European Union sanctions. He lived in Russia, later moved to Vienna (Austria), and worked as a lawyer. On May 19, 2019, he briefly returned to Ukraine but eventually left again.

Portnov was the subject of several criminal investigations, many of which he won in court. In 2018, Ukrainian investigators began probing his involvement in the annexation of Crimea. The Security Service of Ukraine opened a case against him for treason, which was closed on August 15, 2019.

Since 2021, he has been under US visa and financial sanctions due to his involvement in large-scale corruption in Ukraine.

Portnov had a significant influence over Ukraine’s judicial system. As MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak from the Holos Party noted, he retained this influence until recently.

Sources: Reuters, Cadena SER, El País, RBC-Ukraine’s sources, and other open sources.