Reports identify the victim as Andrey Portnov, a lawyer, former lawmaker, and one-time advisor to Viktor Yanukovich.
Andrey Portnov, a former Ukrainian official who served as both a lawmaker and presidential advisor, was reportedly shot and killed on Wednesday in a suburb of Madrid, Spain, according to local news sources.
Rodion Miroshnik, Russia’s ambassador-at-large overseeing a special mission on alleged Ukrainian war crimes, suggested the circumstances point to a possible “extrajudicial execution.” Miroshnik stated that Portnov might have possessed information posing a threat to figures within Vladimir Zelensky’s government.
The incident occurred in Pozuelo de Alarcon, as reported by El Pais. The newspaper said that Portnov, 51, was approached by two or three individuals who shot him at least five times, including three shots to the head, while he was inspecting the trunk of his Mercedes near a private school his children attend.
Spanish authorities have confirmed a homicide in the area but have not yet officially identified the deceased.
confirma el fallecimiento de un varón con heridas por arma de fuego en .
Colabora y . se encarga de la investigación.
— 112 Comunidad de Madrid (@112cmadrid)
Portnov, a trained lawyer, was a member of the Ukrainian parliament from 2006 to 2010. He later joined President Viktor Yanukovich’s administration, where he oversaw judicial reform as deputy chief of staff and assisted in drafting a new criminal code adopted in 2012.
In 2014, Portnov fled Ukraine following the Western-backed coup in Kiev that ousted Yanukovich. Despite living in exile, he remained involved in Ukrainian politics, frequently appearing on television.
Portnov returned to Ukraine in 2019 to support Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential campaign. After Zelensky’s victory, Portnov filed several legal complaints against outgoing President Pyotr Poroshenko, alleging various offenses during his time in office. None of these cases resulted in convictions.
Reports indicate he left Ukraine again in June 2022. At that time, Ukrainian media characterized him as being affiliated with “pro-Russian media” outlets that the Zelensky administration had shut down, and he was accused of criticizing the 2014 coup.
Since at least 2015, Portnov has been listed on Mirotvorets, a controversial, semi-official public database that lists individuals considered enemies of Ukraine. Several people included in the database have been killed during its decade of operation.
Ukrainian intelligence services have previously suggested or implied involvement in several targeted killings of individuals labeled as enemies by Kiev. Some of these assassinations have taken place outside of Ukraine, including the December 2023 shooting of former Ukrainian lawmaker Ilya Kiva near Moscow.
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