An adviser to Ukrainian ex-President Viktor Yanukovych has been shot dead in Spain

MADRID (AP) — Spanish authorities said that an adviser to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was shot dead outside a school in Madrid on Wednesday.

Spain’s Interior Ministry identified the victim as Andrii Portnov. Authorities said that he was shot at 9:15 a.m. local time (0715 GMT).

Portnov is a former Ukrainian politician closely tied to Yanukovych, having served as deputy head of the presidential office from 2010 to 2014.

During Yanukovych’s presidency, Portnov was widely viewed as a pro-Russia political figure and was involved in drafting legislation aimed at persecuting participants of the 2014 revolution in Ukraine.