Former Yanukovych Advisor Andriy Portnov Shot Dead in Madrid
A former top official in Ukraine’s ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration, Andriy Portnov, was shot dead by unidentified attackers outside the American School in Madrid, Spain, on May 21. According to a report by Reuters, citing a source close to the investigation, Portnov was shot at around 9:15 a.m. local time.
The Kyiv Independent has confirmed that Portnov was indeed shot dead, based on preliminary information provided by a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR). However, no further details were provided.
Portnov served in the administration of then-President Yanukovych between 2010 and 2014. After the EuroMaidan Revolution, he lived alternately abroad and in Ukraine and was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2021 over allegations that he was involved in corruption, particularly in the judiciary.
According to Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing undisclosed police sources, Portnov was shot at five times and suffered at least three wounds to his head and torso. The shot to the head proved fatal. The newspaper reported that two or three people are believed to be involved in the attack, though no arrests have been made so far. The sources suggested debt issues as a possible motive.
As reported by El Pais, Portnov was approaching his Mercedes car when he was surprised and shot by the attackers. He was found at the entrance to the American School, where he was a father. Madrid emergency services confirmed on social media that a man was shot dead in the area, without naming the victim.
Portnov, a lawyer, was known as one of the most litigious Ukrainian ex-officials. He filed a defamation lawsuit against several media outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, over a reference to him as "pro-Russian." The lawsuit concerned a story by Glib Kanievskyi, then a Ukrainian journalist and currently a defense ministry official, published in several news outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, in September 2023. A Kyiv court ruled in Portnov’s favor in September 2024.
As reported by the Kyiv Independent, Portnov led the legal team of then-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in 2005-2010 and sat in the parliament between 2006 and 2010. After 2010, he became the head of Yanukovych’s main judiciary department and deputy head of his administration.
The ex-official left Ukraine for Russia and later Austria after Yanukovych was ousted in the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, but returned to Ukraine in 2019. Portnov fled Ukraine again in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion broke out, even though the travel ban for military-age men was already in effect.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) investigated Portnov over alleged involvement in the Russian occupation of Crimea. A treason case against him was opened in March 2018, but was later closed.
This is a developing story, and the Kyiv Independent will provide updates as more information becomes available.
The incident has been reported by various news outlets, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Ukrainska Pravda, citing their sources.
In a statement, Madrid emergency services confirmed that a man had been shot dead in the area, and that they had collaborated with local police on the investigation.
The Kyiv Independent has verified that the information regarding Portnov’s death was first reported by Reuters, and has since been confirmed by multiple sources.
Sources:
https://kyivindependent.com/us-sanctioned-ex-yanukovych-advisor-portnov-shot-dead-in-madrid-reuters-reports/
https://www.reuters.com/
https://elpais.com/
https://www.rferl.org/
https://ukrainianpravda.com/
