Who murdered Ukrainian ex-MP Andriy Portnov? Suspects and motives
Photo: from the murder scene of Andriy Portnov (Getty Images)
Madrid is searching for the attackers who shot former Ukrainian politician and lawyer Andriy Portnov. Eyewitnesses described what one of the alleged killers looked like.
El País reports citing sources in the Spanish police, Portnov was driving a Mercedes when he was “attacked by two or three people” who fired five shots at him: four in the chest and one in the head. The media notes that sources indicate a debt problem as one of the reasons for the murder.
According to the Spanish media outlet, witnesses describe one of the attackers as a tall, thin man dressed in black and carrying an orange bag.
Los Replicantes writes that he was shot in the chest, neck, and head. Portnov had at least 3 gunshot wounds. According to Spanish ABC, Portnov lived near the murder scene and took his two daughters to school before the attack.
Law enforcement officers are investigating all the details of the crime suggesting that it may be related to either debt problems or political motives.
Los Replicantes adds that the murder was performed by professional killers.
The media describes one of the shooters as wearing a blue tracksuit and carrying a bag around his waist. Local police are now combing the Casa de Campo park on the outskirts of Madrid, towards which the criminal fled.
El Mundo writes that it is unknown how long Portnov lived in Spain, but his children study at the American School in the municipality of Pozuelo de Alarcón. The media writes that he lived in a house very close to this elite center.
Who is Portnov and what we know about his murder in Madrid
51-year-old Andriy Portnov is a former Ukrainian politician and lawyer. He was born in Luhansk. He was a member of the Ukrainian parliament in two convocations. Between 2011 and 2014, he worked as an advisor to fugitive president Viktor Yanukovych and as a deputy head of the presidential administration.
After the Revolution of Dignity, Portnov left Ukraine. He lived in Russia, then moved to Vienna, Austria, where he practiced law. He returned to Ukraine in 2019. But later he left the country again.
Several criminal cases were brought against Portnov, many of which he won in court. In 2018, Ukrainian operatives began investigating Portnov's involvement in the annexation of Crimea, and the Security service opened a case under the article High Treason, which was closed on August 15, 2019.
Since 2021, he has been subject to US visa and financial sanctions in connection with his involvement in large-scale corruption in Ukraine.
Today, on May 21, Portnov was shot dead in Spain in a wealthy neighborhood on the outskirts of Madrid. The information was first shared in local media. Later, RBC-Ukraine's sources confirmed that the ex-politician was killed.
Find out everything we know about Portnov's murder so far in a separate report.
Sources: Los Replicantes, El País, ABC, El Mundo.
