Andriy Portnov, a controversial figure and former senior official under Ukraine’s ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, was fatally shot outside the American School in Madrid, according to a report by Reuters on May 21 citing a source close to the investigation.

A source from Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR) confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Portnov had been killed, based on early information, though no further details were shared.

Portnov, known as both a lawyer and a politician, served in Yanukovych’s administration between 2010 and 2014. After the EuroMaidan Revolution, he split his time between Ukraine and abroad. In 2021, the U.S. imposed sanctions on him, accusing him of corruption, especially related to judicial affairs.

The shooting occurred around 9:15 a.m. local time. According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing unnamed police sources, Portnov was struck five times, with at least three bullets hitting his head and back. The wound to the head was fatal.

Police believe two or three assailants carried out the attack, but no arrests have been made so far. El Pais’s sources hinted that financial disputes might be a possible motive.

At the time of the shooting, Portnov was driving a Mercedes and was caught off guard by the attackers near the entrance to the American School. Emergency responders arrived quickly but found him already deceased, as confirmed by the Spanish outlet.

Madrid emergency services posted on social media about a fatal shooting in the area, though they did not disclose the victim’s identity.

The incident has also been reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukrainska Pravda, and other news organizations, citing their own sources.

The lawsuit originated from a 2023 article by Glib Kanievskyi, then a journalist and now a defense ministry official, published in various media including the Kyiv Independent. A Kyiv court ruled in Portnov’s favor in September 2024.