Ukraine and Spain Establish Joint Investigation Team to Unravel High-Profile Portnov Assassination

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko confirms a Joint Investigation Team with Spain to find the killers of Andriy Portnov. 13 extraditions confirmed since 2022.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 4:43 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from the Prosecutor General of Ukraine

A Strategic Alliance in Criminal Justice

During a high-level diplomatic mission to Madrid, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko secured a pivotal agreement with Spanish Prosecutor General Teresa Peramato to formalize a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). This specialized legal body is designed to streamline the exchange of evidence and intelligence regarding the assassination of Andriy Portnov, a prominent Ukrainian lawyer and former politician. Kravchenko emphasized that the JIT will allow investigators from both nations to work in tandem, bypassing traditional bureaucratic delays to uncover the broader geopolitical context and potential state sponsorship behind the crime.

The Pursuit of the Madrid Assassins

The investigation centers on the events of May 21, 2025, when Portnov was fatally shot in the back as he attempted to enter his vehicle near the American School in Pozuelo de Alarcón. Witnesses at the time described a calculated hit, and the Spanish National Police subsequently launched an international manhunt for three primary suspects. By establishing a JIT, Ukrainian authorities are now positioned to contribute their own domestic intelligence files on Portnov's professional history and potential adversaries directly to the Spanish judicial system, which has maintained strict confidentiality over the case files for nearly a year.

Expanding Extradition and Legal Assistance

Beyond the murder inquiry, the meeting between Kravchenko and Spanish Justice Minister Félix Bolaños García highlighted a period of unprecedented cooperation in international legal assistance. Since the onset of the wider regional conflict in 2022, Spain has successfully processed 13 Ukrainian requests for the extradition of individuals suspected of serious crimes, with nine suspects already returned to Kyiv to face trial. This growing track record of judicial reciprocity serves as the foundation for the new investigative team, reinforcing the principle that individuals cannot evade accountability by seeking refuge within the European Union.