Portnov was killed by "one-time executor", probably on putin's orders - Die Zeit
Journalists from the German publication Die Zeit spoke with acquaintances of the suspect in the murder of Ukrainian politician Andrii Portnov, who is currently under arrest in the city of Cologne awaiting extradition to Spain.
"If you put all the pieces of the puzzle together, a picture emerges of a contract killing; carried out by a so-called "one-time agent", a petty criminal with ties to Moscow," the publication's journalists claim.
The publication recalled that in recent years, Germany has repeatedly detained suspected "one-time agents" who acted on behalf of russia - that is, persons without the official status of special services employees who are recruited for risky short-term operations. For example, last year in Munich, a German-russian was convicted of planning explosions at a NATO training ground and industrial facilities in Bavaria. And in Stuttgart, three Ukrainians are currently on trial for allegedly planning terrorist attacks using parcel bombs on cargo planes. The leader of this sabotage operation was allegedly a Ukrainian who came from the part of Eastern Ukraine that is now occupied by russia. "However, a so-called low-level agent accused of murder on behalf of russia has never been detained in Germany," the publication notes.
Spanish investigators accuse 45-year-old Oleksandr A. of being the killer of Andrii Portnov. Portnov was a former high-ranking politician from Ukraine who was killed by a group of hitmen in a Madrid suburb last May. He was shot nine times, including in the back and head, after he had just taken his daughters to the American School.
Oleksandr A. reportedly fled to Germany after committing the crime. In his apartment in Heinsberg, the police, in addition to the cannabis plantation, allegedly also found the weapon with which Portnov was supposedly killed. This was first reported by the newspaper "Aachener Zeitung". Neither the police, nor the competent Cologne Public Prosecutor's Office, nor the city and district, nor the Spanish investigative court No. 1 in Pozuelo de Alarcón, which is conducting the investigation, wanted to confirm the details of the arrest and the case itself.
The publication "Die ZEIT" spoke with a man who claims to have been Oleksandr A.'s best friend in Heinsberg, as well as with his landlord and government officials in Germany and Ukraine.
In Germany, according to acquaintances of russian origin, Oleksandr A. did not stand out for his pro-putin statements. They say he never spoke about politics, only that he was against the war. Alex, as he was called in Heinsberg, often trained his muscles in the morning and did boxing in a fitness club. In the afternoon, he attended a language school so that after passing the exam he could start working for a security company. It is believed that Oleksandr A. arrived in Heinsberg back in 2022, but until today he had little contact with the locals and had no relationships. In the afternoon, he often spent time with a friend at the bus station, sitting on a wooden bench near the stop. In fact, it was near this place that he was detained by the police.
Die Zeit journalists also analyze the biography of the suspect, who was born in the currently russian-occupied territory of the Donetsk Region. They recall his criminal past and long-term contacts with pro-russian organizations. In addition, A. allegedly used russian phone numbers and moved to russia six years ago. Oleksandr A. also allegedly has a russian passport.
Journalists also mention that another suspect in the case is Oleksandr's brother Veli, whose family lives in the russian federation.
"The entire family of Oleksandr A. seems to be politically close to russia. His daughter Liana reportedly lives in the russian-occupied territory of the Luhansk Region and is an active member of the "Medical Volunteers" - a community that supports the occupiers. His brother Veli, who is suspected of aiding and abetting Portnov's murder, is allegedly hiding with his family in Moscow," the publication writes.