Ex-Yanukovych Aide Sanctioned by U.S. Reportedly Assassinated After Fleeing Ukraine
A former top aide to ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Andriy Portnov, has reportedly been assassinated, according to a Ukrainian military intelligence official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
Portnov fled Ukraine in 2014 after helping suppress pro-European Union protests and later lived in Russia and Austria. He returned to Ukraine following the 2019 election of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on Portnov for alleged corruption, accusing him of using judicial and law enforcement ties to manipulate court access and obstruct reforms.
Media reports suggest he left Ukraine again in 2022—despite a wartime travel ban on military-aged men—by leveraging high-level connections.
Ukrainian authorities have not officially commented on the killing. However, since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Ukraine has been linked to a series of targeted assassinations of figures supporting Moscow’s war effort in both Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories.
