A former leading Ukrainian official, Andriy Portnov, was shot and killed outside an American school in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, as children were arriving on the morning of Wednesday, 09:15 local time. Portnov, 51, had just dropped off his children when an assailant, described as a thin man wearing a blue tracksuit, opened fire with a firearm. After the incident, the shooter fled the scene, disappearing into a wooded area near a public park.
Portnov was a controversial figure, having previously served as a member of parliament and the deputy head under Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine’s pro-Russian president who was ousted in 2014 following extensive protests. After leaving Ukraine post-revolution, he returned in 2019 but faced legal troubles, leading to U.S. sanctions which labeled him a "court fixer" involved in undermining judicial reforms.
Witnesses reported the gunman may have had an accomplice on a motorbike, raising the specter of a coordinated attack. Emergency services, arriving shortly after the incident, found Portnov with multiple bullet wounds to his back and head, confirming his death at the scene. Authorities have utilized drones and helicopters in attempts to locate the suspect, but no arrest has been made thus far.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown. The school has assured parents that all students were safe, while tensions remain high due to Portnov’s past connections and the implications of such a shooting on foreign relations. This incident mirrors a past shooting of a Russian pilot who defected to Ukraine, indicating a continuing pattern of politically motivated violence in Europe involving former officials.
