Suspect Arrested in Germany for 2025 Killing of Ukrainian Ex-Politician in Madrid

Spanish and German authorities have arrested a suspect in Germany for the 2025 killing of former Ukrainian pro-Russian politician Andrii Portnov outside the American School of Madrid. Portnov, a former aide to ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, was shot multiple times while dropping off his children. The suspect is believed to be the shooter, though authorities have not released further details.

Spanish and German authorities have apprehended a suspect in Germany in connection with the high-profile murder of former Ukrainian pro-Russian politician Andrii Portnov, who was killed outside the American School of Madrid in 2025. According to Spain’s National Police, the suspect was arrested in Heinsberg, a town in Germany near the Dutch border. While authorities did not provide additional specifics regarding the circumstances of the arrest, they confirmed that the ongoing investigation identifies this individual as the person responsible for firing the fatal shots that killed Portnov.
Andrii Portnov, who was 51 at the time of his death, had served as a senior aide to Viktor Yanukovych, the former Ukrainian president with close ties to Moscow. Yanukovych was ousted during Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan revolution, which erupted in response to his decision to pivot Ukraine away from European Union integration and toward closer relations with Russia. Following his removal, Yanukovych fled Ukraine and sought refuge in Russia, where he remains in exile. Portnov, as a close associate of Yanukovych, also left Ukraine for Russia in 2014 amid the political upheaval.
Portnov’s killing occurred in a wealthy suburb of Madrid as he was getting into a vehicle outside the American School of Madrid, where at least one of his children was enrolled. Spanish authorities noted that the attack took place just as children were arriving at the school, raising concerns about public safety and the potential risk to bystanders. He was shot several times in the back and head, in what Spanish police have described as a deliberate and targeted assassination.
Prior to his death, Portnov had been subject to scrutiny and legal investigations in Ukraine, including accusations of treason and embezzlement, although both the charges and corresponding European Union sanctions were eventually lifted. Nevertheless, the United States had sanctioned him in 2021, with the U.S. Treasury Department citing his extensive connections to Ukraine’s judicial and law enforcement institutions, which it alleged were cultivated through bribery and corrupt practices.
Spanish police have stated that while they are not disclosing details of the suspect at this time, the evidence gathered during the investigation strongly implicates the individual arrested in Germany as the shooter. The apprehension represents a significant development in the cross-border investigation into the assassination of a prominent former Ukrainian political figure and underscores ongoing international cooperation between Spanish and German law enforcement authorities. The case continues to attract international attention due to Portnov’s high-profile background, his ties to Yanukovych, and the broader geopolitical implications of his murder.