Suspected Monaco Bomber Found Dead Near Kyiv
Anastasiia Berezovska, a woman suspected of involvement in last week’s bombing in Monaco that seriously injured a Ukraine-born businessman, was found shot dead near Kyiv, marking a significant development in a case that has unsettled the Mediterranean principality.
Ukrainian prosecutors announced on Tuesday that Berezovska was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head. Additionally, two men have been arrested in connection with the case, including an officer from Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) and a former law enforcement officer.
Interpol Notice and Charges
On Friday, Interpol issued a red notice for Berezovska, a Ukrainian national fluent in German. This notice—a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a suspect pending extradition—stated that Berezovska was wanted by Monaco on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
Investigations and Arrests
Prosecutors revealed that Berezovska had received cryptocurrency payments from the two men who were arrested, prompting investigators to consider them as “individuals potentially involved in the attempted murder in Monaco.” They further stated that the serving HUR officer was “acting on his own initiative” and had not informed his superiors about his contacts with Berezovska.
Authorities also released footage depicting a blood-stained “torture chamber” containing hammers and other equipment, reportedly discovered during searches of the two men’s properties.
could not independently verify the details provided by the prosecutors.
Political Implications for Kyiv
This incident may carry political consequences for Kyiv. Any evidence linking members of Ukraine’s intelligence services to a bombing on European soil would be highly damaging, especially as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the G7 summit on Tuesday to seek enhanced Western support amid ongoing Russian bombardments of Ukrainian cities.
Prince Albert II of Monaco condemned the bombing as
“an odious act”and stated that all security services of the principality had been mobilised in response.
Victims and Attack Details
The victims have not been officially named, but police and judicial sources informed French media that they were Vadym Iermolaiev, 58, a businessman originally from Ukraine who holds Cypriot citizenship, his girlfriend, and their son. Iermolaiev and his partner sustained serious injuries and were hospitalized, while the child suffered minor injuries.
French prosecutors allege that Berezovska, who had been residing in Germany, disguised herself as a man before placing an explosive device in the entrance hall of the family’s apartment building in Monaco.
Background on Victim and Context
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Iermolaiev had been living in Monaco as part of a group of wealthy Ukrainian businessmen and politicians that independent Ukrainian media referred to as the “Monaco battalion.”
Ukraine imposed sanctions on Iermolaiev in 2023, accusing him of maintaining business ties with Russian entities operating in Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow, including Crimea, which Russia annexed illegally in 2014.
Suspect’s Escape Route
Monaco’s deputy prosecutor reported last week that the suspected attacker fled the principality on foot into neighboring France before traveling by car to Germany via several European countries, including Italy.
Context of Explosive Attacks
Ukraine has conducted numerous lethal operations involving explosive devices targeting senior Russian military officers and Kremlin-backed Ukrainian officials inside Russia. However, there is no established precedent for such attacks on European soil.
Last week, German prosecutors accused Ukrainian “state authorities” of ordering the 2022 explosives attack on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, linking Russia with Europe.
