Andriy Portnov, a former senior Ukrainian official, was shot dead on Wednesday morning outside an international school in Madrid, Spain.
The 51-year-old was reportedly gunned down shortly after dropping off his children at the school in Pozuelo de Alarcón, a residential area on the outskirts of the Spanish capital. According to eyewitnesses, at least one unidentified assailant opened fire on Portnov in the school parking lot before fleeing into a wooded area of a nearby public park.
The shooting occurred around 9:15 AM local time (07:15 GMT), while children were still arriving at the school, raising concerns about the safety of students and staff.
Portnov was a former Member of Parliament and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration under Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russian Ukrainian president ousted during the 2014 Euromaidan protests.
Spanish authorities have launched an urgent investigation, but no suspects have been arrested, and no motive has been confirmed. Police are combing the surrounding areas and reviewing surveillance footage to track the perpetrator’s movements.
The incident has shocked both the Ukrainian diaspora in Europe and local residents, many of whom are grappling with the rare act of violence in the normally quiet and affluent neighborhood.
Given Portnov’s political background and ties to Ukraine’s turbulent political past, international observers are watching closely to determine whether this attack was politically motivated or connected to other personal or criminal factors.