Ex-politician and aide to former Ukrainian president shot dead in Madrid

BREAKING

Portnov was shot dead by an unidentified gunman outside the gates of an American school in the capital of Spain this morning, a source close to the investigation revealed.

The 51-year-old is believed to have been dropping his kids off at school, before police received reports of the shooting at 7.15am local time.

Radio station Cadena SER said he was shot several times.

He worked as a senior aide to former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich, who served from 2010 to 2014 before he was ousted.

Portnov was placed on many sanction lists by the West following the change of regime.

He had been involved in an  authoritarian crackdown in Ukraine following civil unrest after Yanukovich’s desire for closer ties with Russia.

After being removed from the EU's sanctions lists in 2016, he was placed on the US' sanctions list in 2021 for “using his influence to buy access and decisions in Ukraine’s courts and undermining reform efforts”.

After Yanukovich’s government was ousted, Portnov moved to Russia, and then Austria.