An adviser to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was killed in a shooting near the American School in Madrid, Spanish authorities said.
The Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed that the victim was 51-year-old Andrey Portnov.
He was shot dead at 9:15 a.m. local time (8:15 a.m. BST), apparently after dropping off children at school, authorities said.
Witnesses said Portnov was shot “several times” in the head and body by a group of armed men as he got into his black Mercedes-Benz, police said.
After this, the attackers fled the scene on foot.
Madrid's emergency services said paramedics had pronounced him dead. At least three gunshot wounds were found on his body.
Mr Portnov was a former Ukrainian politician closely associated with Mr Yanukovych. He served as deputy head of the presidential administration from 2010 to 2014.
During Yanukovych's presidency, Mr. Portnov was widely perceived as a pro-Russian politician and was involved in drafting legislation aimed at prosecuting participants in Ukraine's 2014 revolution.
Luis Rayo, 19, who lives in a building next to the school, said he was sleeping when he heard gunshots.
“I heard five shots and then I went out to see what happened,” Rayo said.
Police cordoned off the scene of the incident in a parking lot located about 150 metres (500 feet) from the gates of the American School of Madrid, located in the upscale Pozuelo de Alarcon neighbourhood north of the city centre.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
