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Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Murdered on the school run: The controversial Ukrainian gunned down in Madrid
Andriy Portnov's murder in a Madrid suburb has shocked Ukrainians, but it has not exactly triggered an outpouring of grief. The controversial former official had just dropped his children off at the American School when he was shot several times in the car park. The image of his lifeless body lying face down in a gym kit marked the end of a life synonymous with Ukrainian corruption and Russian influence. Ukraine's media have been discussing the 51-year-old's frequent threats to journalists, as well as his huge influence under the country's last pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych. "A man who called for the killing of political opponents suddenly got what he wanted from others," observed reporter Oleksandr Holubov. News website Ukrayinska Pravda even called him "the devil's advocate". Rare words of restraint came from Portnov's once political rival Serhiy Vlasenko, an MP, who said: "You can't kill people. When discussing someone's death, we must remain human." Portnov was controversial and widely disliked. The motives for his murder may seem evident, but his death has still left unanswered questions. Before entering Ukrainian politics, Portnov ran a law firm. He worked with then-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko until 2010, before defecting to Yanukovych's camp when he won the election. "It was a big story of betrayal," remembers Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskykh. "Because Tymoshenko was a pro-Western politician, and Yanukovych pro-Russian." The adviser became the country's first deputy head of the Presidential Office and set up a national criminal code in 2012. For him, his critics say, his ascent was less about politics, and more about power and influence. "He was just a good lawyer, everyone knew he was very smart," Kristina tells me. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, Ukraine inherited a judicial system in desperate need of reform. Mykhailo Zhernakov, a legal expert and head of the Dejure Foundation believes Portnov remoulded it in order for the government to cover up illegal schemes, and to mask Russian attempts to control the country. "He was the kingpin, mastermind and architect of this corrupt legal system designed to serve the pro-Russian administration at the time," he says. Over a decade, Portnov would sue journalists who wrote negative stories about him through the courts and judges he controlled. His attempts to control the judicial system would lead to him being sanctioned by the US. At the time, Washington accused the adviser of placing loyal officials in senior positions for his own benefit, as well as "buying court decisions". Portnov later pursued activists who took part in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution, which toppled Viktor Yanukovych from power, and forced him to escape the country to Russia. "He used sexual threats," says Oksana Romaniuk who remembers her and other journalists' interactions with Portnov well. As director of the Institute of Mass Information, she monitors free speech in Ukraine. Whenever a damning report was published, the reaction was familiar and consistent. "When people exposed his corruption, he accused them of fake news," she says. "Even when journalists had documents and testimonies backing up the allegations, it was impossible to win the lawsuits in court. It was impossible to defend yourself. It was a rotten system." Andriy Portnov eventually settled in Moscow after his old boss Yanukovych fled in 2014. Investigative reporter Maksym Savchuk subsequently investigated his ties to Moscow, as well as his extensive property portfolio there. "He responded with words I don't want to quote, derogatory ones about my mother," he remembers. "It's a trait of his character; he is a very vindictive person." Even after leaving Ukraine, Portnov still tried to influence Ukrainian politics by taking control of pro-Kremlin TV channel NewsOne. He returned in 2019, only to flee again with the full-scale invasion in 2022. The irony of Portnov eventually settling in Spain and sending his children to a prestigious American school has not been lost on many. Alongside the undisguised delight in Portnov's death, there has been endless speculation over who was responsible. "It could have been the Russians because he knew so many things," suggests legal expert Mykhailo Zhernakov. "He was involved in so many shady Russian operations it could be them or other criminal groups. He managed to annoy a lot of people," he says. Despite the motives being clearer on this side of the border, Ukrainian security sources appear to be trying to distance themselves from the killing. Kyiv has previously carried out assassinations in Russian-occupied territory and in Russia itself, but not in Spain. Some Spanish media reports suggest his murder was not political, but rather over "economic reasons or revenge". "You can imagine how many people need to be interrogated in order to narrow down the suspects," thinks Maskym Savchuk. "Because this person has a thousand and one enemies." In Ukraine, Portnov is seen as someone who helped Russia form the foundations for its invasion. A once general dislike of him has only been intensified since 2022. Despite this, Mykhailo Zhernakov hopes his death is also an opportunity for wider judicial reforms. "Just because he's gone doesn't mean his influence has," he warns. "Because many of the people he appointed or helped get jobs are still in the system." Additional reporting by Hanna Chornous. Trump's call with Putin exposes shifting ground on Ukraine peace talks Why Zelensky can't and won't give up Crimea Beginning of the end? Ukraine's front-line soldiers eye Russia talks with hope Ukraine makes gains in its other war - fighting corruption
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Controversial ex-official Portnov visited Ukraine days before being killed in Madrid, news outlet reports
Andriy Portnov, a former top official in ex-President Viktor Yanukovych's administration, visited Ukraine just days before he was shot dead in Madrid on May 21, the news outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported on May 23, citing unnamed sources. According to three interlocutors with knowledge of Portnov's movements — including sources in law enforcement and his inner circle — he was in Ukraine on May 17-18 and reportedly met with top law enforcement officials. Portnov, a lawyer and longtime political operative, was shot at least five times outside the American School in Madrid. Two or three individuals are believed to have taken part in the killing. Citing police sources, El Pais reported that Portnov was hit by at least three bullets, including one to the head, which proved fatal. No arrests have been reported so far. The killing comes amid resurfacing scrutiny of Portnov's activities in Ukraine, particularly his alleged ties to the judiciary and law enforcement. Portnov was Yanukovych's deputy chief of staff responsible for the judiciary and head of his administration's legal department. Even after Yanukovych was overthrown during the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, Portnov reportedly retained significant influence over the judiciary. He fled Ukraine after the EuroMaidan Revolution, first relocating to Russia and later to Austria. He returned to Ukraine in 2019, but left again in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion — reportedly skirting the wartime travel ban for military-age men. In 2021, the U.S. sanctioned Portnov for suspected corruption, accusing him of using influence over Ukraine's judicial system to secure favorable rulings and amass wealth. Portnov was also widely regarded as one of the most litigious figures among Ukraine's ex-officials. In 2024, a Kyiv court ruled in his favor in a defamation suit against several outlets, including the Kyiv Independent, over references to him as "pro-Russian." The contested article was authored by Glib Kanievskyi, now a defense ministry official. 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. Read also: Hated, tainted, and covertly pro-Russian — Andriy Portnov, the top Ukrainian ex-official shot dead in Spain We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
MTV Lebanon
21-05-2025
- MTV Lebanon
Ukrainian ex-politician shot dead outside Madrid's American school
An unidentified gunman or gunmen shot and killed former Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov on Wednesday morning outside the gates of the American School in Madrid's affluent neighborhood of Pozuelo, a source close to the investigation said. Police received the call about the shooting at 9:15 am (0715 GMT) local time, the Madrid police told Reuters, without identifying the victim. Radio station Cadena SER said the man was taking his children to the school when he was shot. Portnov was a senior aide to Ukraine's former President Viktor Yanukovich who was ousted in 2014.
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Pro-Russian ex-Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov reportedly killed outside American School in Spain
A pro-Russian former politician from Ukraine was fatally shot Wednesday morning outside his children's school in the Spanish capital Madrid, according to the Reuters news agency and multiple Spanish outlets. Andriy Portnov was killed outside the American School of Madrid by an unidentified gunman or gunmen, according to the reports. "Several persons shot him in the back and the head and then fled toward a forested area," Reuters quoted an unnamed source at the Spanish Interior Ministry as saying. There was no immediate confirmation of the slain man's identity by Spain's National Police or other authorities, and no indication of a motive or any suspects who might have been identified. Witnesses told Spanish media that at least one possible suspect was seen running into a nearby wooded area. According to Spain's El Diario newspaper, citing witnesses, Portnov was shot right after dropping off his children at the American School. Photos from the scene showed a man's body lying motionless on the ground behind a Mercedes sedan. Police officers are seen next to a body, reportedly that of ex-Ukraine politician Andriy Portnov, in front of the American School in Pozuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, May 21, 2025. OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP/Getty Portnov was a senior aid to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, a pro-Russian leader who was ousted during the Euromaidan Revolution in 2014. That ouster brought Ukraine's current, Western-backed government to power, and it infuriated Russia, which launched its first, initial invasion of Ukrainian territory that same year, quickly culminating in the unilateral annexation of Crimea. Portnov was a lawyer, and his political opponents in Ukraine had accused him of helping build a legal framework to enable the former government in Kyiv to crack down on protesters during the 2014 pro-democracy uprising. Portnov continued living in Ukraine after the 2014 revolution, despite his close ties with the Yanukovich administration, until he left the country in 2022, according to the Radio Freedom Ukraine network. In 2021, Portnov was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department under the Magnitsky Act, an American law designed to target foreign individuals implicated in corruption and human rights abuses. Then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, left, is seen with the deputy head of his presidential administration, Andriy Portnov, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Aug. 2, 2010. Stringer/REUTERS The U.S. government accused him of having "cultivated extensive connections to Ukraine's judicial and law enforcement apparatus through bribery," and said he had been "credibly accused of using his influence to buy access and decisions in Ukraine's courts and undermining reform efforts." "As of 2019, Portnov took steps to control the Ukrainian judiciary, influence associated legislation, sought to place loyal officials in senior judiciary positions, and purchase court decisions," the Treasury said. There have been a series of crimes in Spain seemingly related to the Russia-Ukraine war since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Late that same year, a series of letter bomb attacks targeted high-profile institutions including the Ukrainian and U.S. embassies in Madrid and the Spanish Defense Ministry. In early 2024, Maxim Kuzminov, a Russian pilot who had defected to Ukraine, was killed near Alicante, in southeast Spain.
Metro
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Ex-pro Putin politician shot dead 'taking his children to school'
A former pro-Putin Ukrainian politician was gunned down while dropping his children off at school in a wealthy Spanish neighbourhood. Andriy Portnov was a senior aide to Ukraine's former President and Putin sympathiser, Viktor Yanukovych, who was exiled in 2014 and has lived in Russia ever since. Police were called around 9.15 am, when an unidentified gunman or gunmen shot and killed Portnov outside the gates of the American School in Pozeulo, Madrid. Local radio station Cadena SER said he had been taking his children to school when the gunshots rang out. Witness Ines told local media: 'I woke up with a very loud noise of six or seven shots… I knew those weren't firecrackers. 'I heard a scream. We saw a man on the ground.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Witnesses have described the killing as a 'professional hit' and said the killer waited for his victim to drop his daughter off before striking. The school where the shooting took place has annual tuition fees of up to £20,000. A National Police spokesperson said: 'All we can confirm is that a man has been shot dead outside a school in Pozuelo de Alarcon. More Trending 'We received a call around 9.15am. There was nothing emergency responders could do to save the victim. An investigation has been launched and is ongoing.' Spain has had a number of incidents of violence relating to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A letter bomb was sent to the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, injuring an employee. A Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine after the invasion was found dead near Benidorm with more than a dozen gunshots. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man United and Tottenham fans in violent clash before Europa League final MORE: Putin shows no sign of agreeing to ceasefire with rare visit to the frontline MORE: Man stabbed in neck by stranger 'for no reason' at Spanish airport
