Former Yanukovych Aide Assassinated Near Madrid School in Shocking Attack

A former senior aide to Ukraine’s ousted pro-Russian president, Andriy Portnov, was gunned down near Madrid on Wednesday morning. The assassination took place outside the American School of Madrid in Pozuelo de Alarcon, an upscale suburb of the Spanish capital. Spanish authorities confirmed the identity of the victim and stated that multiple shots were fired as Portnov was entering a vehicle, fatally wounding him.

Spanish police sources disclosed that Portnov, 51, was struck in both the back and head by gunfire around 9:15 a.m. local time. The assailants, believed to be several individuals, fled into a nearby wooded area shortly after executing the attack. The incident occurred shortly after the school’s drop-off period, sparking alarm among students and parents.

Following the shooting, the school quickly issued multiple alerts to parents, reassuring them that all students were safe and that the victim was likely the parent of a student. Authorities cordoned off the area to investigate the crime scene, while media reported heavy police presence and shocked onlookers. The private school enrolls over 1,000 students from around the world, including many from Spain and the United States.

Portnov previously served as deputy head of the presidential administration under Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s former president who fled during the 2014 Maidan Revolution. Portnov was widely considered a close ally of the Kremlin-leaning leadership. He had faced accusations of corruption, manipulation of Ukraine’s judiciary, and attempting to obstruct democratic reforms.

In 2021, the U.S. sanctioned Portnov under the Magnitsky Act, which targets foreign officials involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption. According to the U.S. Treasury, Portnov leveraged his political influence to obstruct justice and undermine Ukraine’s judicial reforms. His inclusion on the list froze any U.S. assets and banned his entry into the country.

Additionally, Canadian authorities had already frozen Portnov’s assets back in 2014 due to his affiliation with the Yanukovych regime. Though Portnov returned to Ukraine in 2019, he left again in early 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion, which prevented most Ukrainian men of fighting age from leaving the country. His relocation and recent activity had remained somewhat of a mystery until his murder.

Despite allegations and international sanctions, Ukraine itself never sanctioned Portnov. A civil society-led petition in late 2024 calling for national sanctions against him gathered over 25,000 signatures. The petition cited claims that Portnov continued to exert undue influence over the judiciary and harassed investigative journalists by publishing their private data. However, the Cabinet of Ministers dismissed the petition, citing a lack of sufficient legal grounds.

The assassination has reignited concerns about the security of former Ukrainian officials tied to the Yanukovych era. In 2015, multiple deaths of former MPs and journalists with pro-Russian leanings were reported, some by gunfire and others under suspicious circumstances. These incidents have long fueled speculation of targeted political eliminations, although no official motive was ever proven.

Spain itself has not been immune to incidents tied to the Russia-Ukraine war. In 2022, a letter bomb exploded at Ukraine’s Madrid embassy, injuring an employee. Additional explosive-laden letters followed, including one sent to the Spanish Prime Minister. A Spanish citizen was eventually apprehended, and the plot was believed to aim at disrupting Spain’s support for Ukraine.

Spanish authorities have opened a full investigation into Portnov’s murder. With the attackers still at large, police are reviewing nearby surveillance footage and canvassing the area. Portnov’s killing is the latest in a series of violent incidents abroad involving high-profile figures linked to Ukraine and Russia, raising broader questions about international safety and political retribution.