Former Ukrainian politician Andrie Portnov was shot dead outside Pozuelo de Alarcon’s American Madrid school on the morning of May 21st.
The targeted assassination of a 51-year-old former politician took place under wide sunlight and shocked both Spain and Ukraine.
Wikipedia’s wrong
Within hours, social media users noticed something even more surprising. Wikipedia users updated Portnov’s English biography to announce his death before Spanish police arrived at the crime scene.
According to official sources, Spanish national police received their first emergency call at 9:16am, reporting gunshots and the discovery of the body of a man near the school. Officers arrived at the scene around 9:30am.
However, Wikipedia’s editing history has caused confusion. 9:21am GMT, a user named User refreshed the Portnov page and stated that he had passed away. Two more edits followed, adding at 9:24 and 9:25 Portonov was “shot dead by one or more unidentified gunmen from Madrid.”
Just a few minutes later, the user deleted the account created the same morning.
The truth behind the timeline
At first glance, it seemed Wikipedia users could now access real-time, perhaps insider information. However, the timeline was misleading.
As several Spanish media have clarified, Wikipedia edits all history with GMT, not local time. Spain has earned GMT+2 over the summer, so the first Wikipedia compilation actually happened at 11:21am local time. This is two hours after the first emergency call.
By that point, several media outlets had begun reporting the victim’s identity after police confirmation.
Over time, the disruption in the zone gave the false impression of visionary reporting. In reality, Wikipedia updates came quite a bit after authorities arrived on the scene and after journalists appointed Portnov as the victim.
Still, rapid editing, user anonymity, and quick deletion of accounts could continue to encourage speculation online.
Brutal daytime murder
Portnov had just dropped his daughter off at school and had returned to the high-end Mercedes when he was shot.
Initial investigations suggest that he was shot multiple times in the back and fatally shot in his head while lying on the ground.
Nine shell casings were retrieved from the scene. Authorities believe that at least three individuals may be involved. One gunman reportedly fled to Casade Campo on foot.
Spanish murder group V and Forensic Police are leading the investigation with the support of the provincial intelligence brigade. The secret order was issued by the Leadership Court No. 1 of Pozuelo de Alarcon.
Who was Andriy Portnov?
Portonov, once a key adviser to former Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovich, was widely viewed as one of the anti-protest architects that inflamed the Euromaidan uprising in early 2014.
He has been investigating for a long time due to corruption and embezzlement. According to Ukrainian authorities, following a full-scale invasion of Russia’s Ukraine in 2022, Portonov fled that June that year. Under martial law, men between the ages of 18 and 60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine without special permission.
Portonov was a solid critic of President Volodimia Zelensky, and until his death he remained an outspoken and controversial figure in exile.
Read more Spanish news here.
