Andrii Portnov, a former high-ranking Ukrainian official and close ally of pro-Russian ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, was targeted by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday morning. According to Spanish police, Portnov was assassinated in Madrid, outside the American School in the Spanish capital. He was shot multiple times in the head and back as he was preparing to get into his car.

The attack occurred around 9:15 a.m. local time. According to CNN, the assailants fled the scene on a motorcycle, heading toward a wooded area. Spanish authorities have not yet made any arrests and are still investigating the motives behind the cold-blooded execution.

A Controversial Figure

The 51-year-old Portnov had served in 2010 as Deputy Chief of Staff in Yanukovych’s presidential administration and as Head of Ukraine’s Judicial Reform Directorate. He was also a Board Member of the National Bank of Ukraine. His name became closely associated with steering Ukraine away from a pro-European path and strengthening ties with Russia—a political shift that triggered the mass protests of 2014 and eventually led to Yanukovych’s ousting.

Following the regime’s collapse, Portnov left the country, and his financial dealings came under scrutiny. In 2021, the United States placed him under sanctions, accusing him of widespread corruption, bribery, and undermining institutional reforms in Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury Department cited “credible allegations” that he had bribed government officials and interfered with the judiciary.

International Outrage and His Departure from Ukraine

Canada had already froze his assets back in 2014, as part of sanctions against “corrupt officials of foreign governments.” Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) launched an investigation into Portnov’s alleged involvement in the annexation of Crimea by Russia—though that case was later dropped.

In 2022, a few months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Portnov left the country, despite a travel ban on men of military age, as revealed by a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty investigation.

Spanish authorities, working in cooperation with Interpol and Ukrainian services, are expected to explore both Portnov’s immediate circle and any international networks he may have been involved with.