**Former Ukrainian Aide Gunned Down in Spain: A Tense Tale of Politics and Exile**

**The shocking murder of former aide to ex-Ukrainian president Viktor F. Yanukovych highlights ongoing tensions related to Ukrainian politics and its repercussions abroad.**

Gunmen have shot and killed Andriy Portnov, a high-profile aide to former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych, in a brazen attack outside a school in Pozuelo de Alarcón, a suburb of Madrid, Spain, according to local authorities and media reports. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning, prompting a rapid police response to the scene after emergency calls around 9:15 a.m. revealed a victim injured by gunfire.

The Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed that Portnov had been shot multiple times in the back and head as he approached his vehicle. Details about the assailants remain scarce, with reports indicating that multiple attackers were involved and have since fled the area. The ministry has launched a homicide investigation as it seeks to uncover the circumstances surrounding the killing.

Witnesses reported that the shooting happened near the private American School of Madrid, although the institution has not yet commented on the incident. Portnov served as the deputy head of Yanukovych’s administration during a turbulent period from 2010 to 2014, which culminated in a popular uprising that led to Yanukovych’s ousting over his government’s pro-Russian stance.

After the uprising, Portnov sought refuge in exile but was rumored to have returned to Ukraine following the election of President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019. Nevertheless, subsequent departures left the specifics of his political engagement unclear. In December 2021, the U.S. government sanctioned Portnov and his charitable organization amid allegations of corruption. The motives behind his assassination remain uncertain, adding a layer of mystery and urgency to an already tense political narrative connected to Ukraine's fractious past.