The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reacted on May 22 to the tragic incident of the murder of a Ukrainian citizen in Spain that occurred the day before. This was reported by the editorial team of Radio Liberty.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“As of May 22, no arrests of suspects in the case have yet taken place. The embassy is in constant contact with law enforcement agencies and is awaiting more detailed information in response to an official inquiry to the national police of Spain”
The ministry does not disclose the name of the deceased, but the circumstances suggest that it concerns the deputy head of the administration of former president Viktor Yanukovych – Andriy Portnov. It is known that the attack was carried out by a group of individuals, and the investigation is being conducted by Murder Group No. 5 in collaboration with the Forensic Department of the Madrid Regional Directorate of the National Police of Spain. At this moment, no arrests of suspects have been made, but the Ukrainian embassy maintains close contact with Spanish law enforcement and is monitoring the situation’s developments.
Circumstances of the Murder and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Reaction
The murder of Andriy Portnov has become the subject of widespread discussion in the media. According to sources confirmed by the media, Portnov was shot in Spain. Sources from law enforcement confirmed this information, adding that he had been in the country since June 3, 2022.
According to research and reports, Portnov had been under U.S. sanctions since December 2021 due to his influence on judicial processes. He actively promoted pro-Russian and anti-Western ideas, particularly through his leadership of the pro-Russian television channel NewsOne in 2018. Research by UkraineWorld from Internews Ukraine indicates that he attempted to discredit the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity and promoted anti-Western programs, using internet bots to spread his ideologies.
According to journalists from the program “Schemes”, Andriy Portnov left Ukraine on June 3, 2022, which caused a wide reaction in society and among political figures. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasizes that the case is under the control of the Ukrainian diplomatic service, which is coordinating further actions in this matter.