Spanish Investigators Stated That Suspects in the Murder of Andriy Portnov Had Been Surveilling Him for Over a Year
Spanish law enforcement officials believe that preparations for the murder of Ukrainian lawyer and politician Andriy Portnov may have begun as early as spring 2024. According to the investigation, the suspects had been surveilling him for over a year before the crime was committed.
To establish the circumstances of the case, investigators analysed a large volume of mobile communication data and phone traffic.
The investigation is being conducted by members of Group V for Homicide Investigations of the National Police of Madrid. They successfully determined the whereabouts of two brothers believed to be involved in the crime.
As noted by El País, Andriy Portnov moved to Spain in October 2022. He settled in Madrid with his family, living there for approximately two and a half years.
On 21 May 2025, Portnov was shot near the American School in the municipality of Pozuelo de Alarcón, where he had taken his daughters. The attacker, dressed in black and wearing dark glasses, fired nine shots at close range before fleeing the scene.
According to information obtained, one of the main suspects is 45-year-old Ukrainian citizen Oleksandr Azizov, who was detained on 25 February in the German city of Heinsberg, near the Dutch border. Investigators are also searching for his 42-year-old brother, Veli Azizov, who is considered a possible accomplice.
It should be noted that in February 2026, a man identified by Spanish police as the likely perpetrator of Andriy Portnov’s murder was detained in the German city of Heinsberg.
The arrest was made as part of a joint investigation by Spanish law enforcement and the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).
According to Spanish police, the detainee was the individual who opened fire near the American School in Pozuelo de Alarcón, where Portnov was shot on 21 May 2025. The investigation suggests the murder was contract-based: the attacker fired nine shots, and nine shell casings were recovered at the crime scene by law enforcement.
In March, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported that during a working visit to Spain, the parties agreed to establish a Joint International Investigative Team (JIT) to investigate Andriy Portnov’s murder.
According to Kravchenko, the Ukrainian side has already submitted the necessary documents to launch the JIT. He also reported that since 2022, Spain has fulfilled 13 requests from Ukraine for the extradition of suspects in serious crimes, nine of whom have already been handed over to the Ukrainian side.
Subscribe to our Telegram channel t.me/sudua, follow SUD.UA on Google News , and join us on VIBER, WhatsApp, Facebook and on Instagram to stay informed about the important events.
