Ukraine Politician Shot Dead Outside American School in Madrid

A former Ukrainian politician who served as a senior official in Viktor Yanukovych's government and who was sanctioned by the U.S. for corruption has been shot dead as he dropped off his children at the American School of Madrid in Spain.

Why It Matters

Portnov was seen as a pro-Russian figure seeking to disrupt and undermine efforts to deepen Kyiv's ties with the West. He was previously involved in drafting legislation aimed at persecuting participants of the 2014 revolution in Ukraine.

What To Know

Spain's Interior Ministry identified the victim as Andriy Portnov, 51, a former deputy head of the office of exiled Ukrainian former President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia after his government was toppled by protests in 2014.

Madrid's emergency services confirmed "the death of a male with gunshot wounds" in Pozuelo de Alarcón, one of the wealthiest areas of the city.

Police said a man on a motorcycle was awaiting Portnov's arrival at the school and then shot him at around 9:15 a.m. local time when the Ukrainian national showed up, Spanish radio station La Cadena SER reported.

Witnesses reported that Portnov was shot "several times" in the head and body by more than one gunman when he was getting into a vehicle after dropping his children off, police said.

Law enforcement believes there could have been three assailants involved, Spanish newspaper El País reported. The assailants then fled on foot into a wooded area, police said. No arrests have been made so far.

Portnov Investigated for High Treason

After fleeing Ukraine in 2014, Portnov reportedly lived in Russia in 2015 before relocating to Austria. It was not immediately clear when he moved to Spain.

In 2018, Ukraine's Security Service, or SBU, opened an investigation against him on suspicion of state treason, alleging his involvement in Russia's illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The criminal case was closed without charges in 2019.

US Sanctions Over Alleged Corruption

In 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned Portnov and his charitable fund over his alleged corruption.

The Treasury said in its release that Portnov "has cultivated extensive connections to Ukraine's judicial and law enforcement apparatus through bribery."

"Widely known as a court fixer, Portnov was credibly accused of using his influence to buy access and decisions in Ukraine's courts and undermining reform efforts," the release said.

Portnov, responding to the sanctions in a post on Telegram, said his fund "has not made a single payment other than aid to Ukrainian hospitals during the start of the pandemic."

This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.