Andriy Portnov, a former Ukrainian deputy head, was shot and killed outside an American school in Madrid, prompting police investigations and concerns over potential political motives.
Former Ukrainian Official Gunned Down Outside School in Madrid
Former Ukrainian Official Gunned Down Outside School in Madrid
The assassination of Andriy Portnov raises questions about political motives and international security.
A former high-ranking official from Ukraine was shot dead in a shocking incident outside an American school in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid. Andriy Portnov, 51, was reportedly ambushed shortly after dropping his children off at school as they arrived on Wednesday morning. Witnesses reported that multiple shots were fired by an unidentified assailant, who then fled into a nearby public park.
Portnov, previously a member of parliament and deputy to pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, had a controversial political career marked by accusations of corruption. After fleeing Ukraine during the 2014 revolution, he returned in 2019 but faced subsequent sanctions from the U.S. Treasury for his alleged role in contorting the judicial system to his advantage. The European Union also imposed sanctions on him, although he successfully challenged this decision in court.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but it occurred around 09:15 local time while children were still entering the school. Spanish police deployed drones and helicopters to search for the gunman, described as a thin man clad in a blue tracksuit with potential accomplices on a motorcycle. Authorities confirmed that Portnov sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the back and head.
This incident mirrors a previous shooting involving a Colombian drug trafficker near a school in Madrid, highlighting the city’s rare but alarming instances of gun violence. Ukrainian intelligence services have been implicated in various assassination efforts, raising suspicions about the political undertones of Portnov's death, especially given a prior incident in which a defected Russian pilot was killed in Spain.
Authorities have cordoned off Portnov's car at the crime scene and assured parents that all students within the school were unharmed. As investigations continue, the implications of this assassination weigh heavily on questions surrounding political intrigues and international safety.
