Wed May 21 11:52:45 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**Former Yanukovych Advisor Andrii Portnov Shot Dead in Madrid**

**Madrid, Spain – May 21, 2025** – Andrii Portnov, a 52-year-old former advisor to ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, was fatally shot in Madrid earlier today. Spanish authorities confirmed that Portnov was identified as the victim after the incident, which occurred around 9:15 a.m. local time outside a school.

According to police reports and eyewitness accounts, Portnov was entering a vehicle when he was attacked by multiple gunmen who shot him “several times” in the head and body. The assailants subsequently fled on foot into a nearby wooded area.

Portnov held the position of Deputy Head of the Presidential Office from 2010 to 2014 under Yanukovych. He was considered a pro-Russian political figure during that time and was involved in drafting controversial legislation targeting participants in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.

Following the ousting of Yanukovych in 2014, Portnov reportedly resided in Russia in 2015 and later moved to Austria. The date of his relocation to Spain remains unclear.

In 2018, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) initiated an investigation into Portnov on suspicion of state treason, alleging his involvement in Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. However, the case was closed in 2019.

The United States imposed sanctions on Portnov in 2021, accusing him of corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets and bribery.

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