Schemes: Pro-Kremlin politician Portnov leaves Ukraine despite travel ban for military-age males.

by The Kyiv Independent news desk July 12, 2022 6:25 PM 1 min read

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48-year-old Andriy Portnov left Ukraine on June 3 through Zakarpattia Oblast, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Schemes project reported, citing three sources. The State Border Guard declined to comment, and the Security Service of Ukraine did not respond to a request for comment. Under martial law, men aged 18 to 60 are banned from leaving Ukraine unless they obtain a special permit. Portnov, a deputy chief of staff for pro-Kremlin ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, fled Ukraine after Yanukovych was overthrown in 2014 and returned after Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president in 2019. Zelensky’s former chief of staff Andriy Bohdan used to be an aide to Portnov, and he has also called Portnov his friend.

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