Kyiv court orders two men held in killing tied to Monaco bombing case
Ukrainian prosecutors say two suspects will remain in custody without bail as investigators examine the killing of Anastasiia Berezovska.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
A Kyiv court has ordered two men held without bail over the killing of Anastasiia Berezovska, a Ukrainian woman wanted in Monaco over a bomb attack on businessman Vadym Yermolaiev. The case links a fatal shooting in Ukraine to an attempted assassination investigation in Monaco, with authorities still examining the motives behind both incidents.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said on Thursday that the detained men include a decorated serving officer in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known as GUR, and a former law enforcement officer, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Prosecutors said the investigation into why Berezovska was killed remains open.
Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday that Berezovska, 39, had been found dead with gunshot wounds to the head, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Cartridges were discovered near her body, authorities said.
Monaco bombing investigation
Interpol had identified Berezovska last week as a key suspect in the June 29 bombing that injured Yermolaiev, his son and his partner, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The blast hit a residential building in Monaco near the French border and seriously wounded the three people, they reported.
Monaco authorities charged Berezovska with attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. A prosecutor told the Kyiv court that Berezovska returned to Ukraine by bus from Poland two days after the Monaco explosion.
Yermolaiev is a Ukrainian-born property businessman who later became a Cypriot national, local media reported, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Ukraine sanctioned him in 2023 over continued business activity in Russian-occupied Crimea, and local media said he had not lived in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night that authorities would soon provide “additional relevant reports” on the case, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. He did not disclose further findings at that time.
Confession disputed in court
Investigators traced Berezovska to the two suspected killers through cryptocurrency transfers, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Earlier this week, Vladyslav Reut, described as a suspected intelligence officer, confessed to shooting Berezovska and led investigators to her grave, they reported.
During Thursday’s court proceedings, Reut withdrew his earlier confession and said co-defendant Vitalli Zhykovych had fired the shots, Ukrainian media reported, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Reut told the court he had confessed earlier because he was afraid.
Prosecutors have not announced a motive for Berezovska’s killing or for the Monaco bombing, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The court’s detention order keeps both men in custody while investigators pursue those questions.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.