By Parrot Newspaper 
Death in Exile: The Shadowy Killing of Ukrainian in Madrid Sparks Questions, Not Mourning
By [Your Name], Parrot Newspaper Investigations Desk
Madrid, Spain – When gunshots shattered the morning calm outside the elite American School in a quiet suburb of Madrid, few in Ukraine shed tears. The man slumped beside his vehicle was Andriy Portnov—once one of the most powerful and feared figures in Ukrainian politics. But while his assassination shocked many, it stirred little sympathy.
Portnov, 51, had just dropped off his children at school when he was gunned down in the parking lot. His death was swift, brutal, and public—a message, perhaps, delivered in daylight.
Photos that surfaced soon after the incident showed him sprawled face down in gym clothes, a haunting image for those who remember his iron grip on Ukraine’s legal system during the reign of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Yet beneath the surface of this apparent hit lies a web of unanswered questions and complex allegiances.
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From Kingmaker to Marked Man
Portnov’s career followed the trajectory of Ukraine’s most turbulent political years. A trained lawyer and former head of a legal firm, he rose to prominence working alongside then-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko—widely seen as a pro-Western reformist. But in 2010, he defected to join the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, a move that many observers viewed as both opportunistic and treacherous.
“It was a big story of betrayal,” investigative journalist Kristina Berdynskykh told Parrot Newspaper. “He abandoned the pro-European project at a pivotal moment and became a kingpin in a deeply corrupt, Kremlin-aligned regime.”
Portnov played a central role in reshaping Ukraine’s judiciary to serve political ends. He wielded influence over courts and prosecutors, often accused of weaponizing the legal system to silence opposition voices.
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A History of Threats and Influence
His notoriety grew not only from the cases he influenced but from the enemies he made. Portnov frequently lashed out at journalists who investigated his affairs, issuing veiled—and sometimes explicit—threats.
Ukrayinska Pravda, a prominent Ukrainian news outlet, once branded him “the devil’s advocate,” while others noted his open hostility to dissent. As recently as 2021, he was under investigation for leaking personal data of journalists.
Yet his reach was undeniable. Even in exile—reportedly living between Vienna and Madrid—Portnov maintained ties with figures in Ukraine and Russia. Some analysts believe he was privy to sensitive information about post-Yanukovych power networks, which may have made him a liability to more than one camp.
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Murder in Madrid: Motives and Mysteries
Spanish authorities have not released official suspects or motives, but intelligence sources suggest the killing bore the hallmarks of a professional hit. With Portnov’s background, the list of possible enemies is long.
Was this retribution from old rivals in Ukraine? A message from former allies seeking to bury secrets? Or something more geopolitical, as tensions between Kyiv and Moscow evolve?
Oleksandr Holubov, a veteran Ukrainian correspondent, was blunt: “A man who called for the killing of political opponents suddenly got what he wished for—from someone else.”
Others struck a more restrained tone. Serhiy Vlasenko, an MP and former adversary, offered a rare word of caution: “You can’t kill people. Even in discussing the death of someone like Portnov, we must remain human.”
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Legacy of a Fallen Power Broker
Portnov’s assassination closes a chapter in Ukraine’s post-Soviet saga but opens another question: what did he know, and who wanted him silenced?
He leaves behind a legacy marred by legal manipulation, political betrayal, and toxic influence. To some, his death marks justice; to others, it signals unfinished business.
For now, the body lies in a foreign morgue, far from the courtrooms he once ruled.
But the story of Andriy Portnov is far from over—because in Ukraine’s tangled web of past loyalties and present reckoning, the truth rarely dies with the man.