Media reports ex-Yanukovich presidential adviser visiting Kiev days before murder

(MENAFN) Andrey Portnov, a former Ukrainian MP and adviser to ex-President Viktor Yanukovich, made a secret trip to Kiev just days before he was shot dead in Madrid, Ukrainskaya Pravda reported, citing sources within law enforcement and government circles.

According to the report, Portnov was in the Ukrainian capital on May 17–18, where he held several high-level meetings, including with senior law enforcement officials. The specific purpose of these meetings remains undisclosed, and it's unclear if the visit was linked to his assassination.

Portnov was killed on May 21 in the affluent Madrid suburb of Pozuelo de Alarcon. He was reportedly shot multiple times, including in the head, shortly after dropping his children off at school. Witnesses stated that a lone gunman attacked him near his Mercedes, then escaped with the help of accomplices.

Spanish authorities have yet to make any arrests, and a Madrid court has classified the case. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga confirmed that Madrid had shared official details due to Portnov’s citizenship and noted that Ukrainian agencies would decide on further steps.

Investigators are considering various motives for the murder, ranging from organized crime to political revenge. Portnov, a key figure in judicial reform under Yanukovich, fled Ukraine during the 2014 Maidan uprising. He returned in 2019 following President Zelensky’s election.

After his return, Portnov filed several legal cases against former President Pyotr Poroshenko and reportedly held considerable sway over Ukraine’s judiciary. In 2021, the U.S. imposed sanctions on him over alleged corruption.

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