The identities of the individuals suspected in the murder of Andriy Portnov, a former deputy head of the administration under ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, have been revealed. According to Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda, the suspects are Alexander and Veli Azizov, brothers originally from the Donetsk region.
Reports indicate that the Azizov brothers had resided in Russia for some time. However, the information regarding their Russian citizenship remains unverified. Investigative project Schemes, affiliated with Radio Free Europe, has confirmed that the brothers obtained Russian passports in 2023 and 2024. Alexander Azizov’s passport is currently valid, while Veli Azizov’s is listed as invalid.
Verification of Alexander Azizov’s passport through the Russian service Gosuslugi confirmed its validity as of 2023. In contrast, Veli Azizov’s passport, issued in 2015, is also marked as invalid. It is important to note that an invalid passport does not automatically indicate a loss of Russian citizenship.
On February 27, journalist Mykhailo Tkach from Ukrainska Pravda reported the arrest of Alexander Azizov as a suspect in Portnov’s murder. He is originally from Shakhtarsk in the Donetsk region and holds Ukrainian citizenship. Tkach also noted that Veli Azizov is believed to be hiding in Russia, along with an unidentified accomplice.
The Azizov brothers have not publicly commented on the allegations regarding their possible involvement in the crime.
On February 25, the Spanish National Police announced the arrest of a suspect in the murder of Andriy Portnov in Germany. Investigations indicate that the arrested individual was responsible for the shooting near a school in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid.
Spanish authorities have issued a European arrest warrant and a European investigation order to search the suspect’s residence. The Cologne prosecutor’s office has stated that German authorities are currently considering the extradition of the arrested individual.
Andriy Portnov was fatally shot in Spain on May 21, 2025. Since December 2021, he had been under U.S. sanctions due to his influence over the judiciary while serving as an advisor and later as deputy head of Yanukovych’s administration.
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, found that Portnov actively sought to discredit Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity and subsequent pro-European reforms, promoting anti-Western narratives with the help of internet bots.
Journalists from the Schemes project reported that Portnov left Ukraine on June 3, 2022.
The Azizov brothers have been identified as suspects in the murder of former Ukrainian official Andriy Portnov. Reports indicate they may have connections to Russia, while investigations continue in Spain regarding the circumstances of the murder.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda