The Spanish National Police have announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Andriy Portnov, a former deputy head of the administration under ex-President Viktor Yanukovych. The arrest took place in Heinsberg, Germany, following a coordinated operation with the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany.
According to police reports, the individual apprehended is believed to be responsible for gunfire near a school in Pozuelo de Alarcón, a suburb of Madrid. Spanish authorities confirmed that a European arrest warrant and a European investigation order had been issued to search the suspect’s residence.
Portnov was fatally shot in Spain on May 21, 2025. He had been under U.S. sanctions since December 2021 due to his influence on the judiciary during his tenure in office.
From August 27 to October 5, 2018, Portnov led the pro-Russian television channel NewsOne. A 2020 study by the UkraineWorld project, part of Internews Ukraine, indicated that Portnov actively sought to undermine the Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity and subsequent pro-European reforms, promoting anti-Western narratives through the use of internet bots.
Reports indicate that Portnov left Ukraine on June 3, 2022, amid ongoing political turmoil.
The arrest of a suspect in Germany marks a significant development in the investigation into the murder of Andriy Portnov, a controversial figure in Ukrainian politics. Authorities continue to pursue leads related to the case, which has drawn international attention.