Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman suspected of carrying out a bombing attack targeting Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev in Monaco last week, was found dead in Kyiv with gunshot wounds to the head, Ukrainian authorities confirmed Tuesday. A Ukrainian military intelligence officer and a former law enforcement official have been detained on suspicion of her murder.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), the military intelligence officer admitted to killing Berezovska, stating he acted independently and without orders from his superiors. Prosecutors said the two men were also potentially involved in planning the Monaco bombing after investigators discovered multiple transfers of cryptocurrency and funds from their accounts to Berezovska.
The bombing occurred outside an apartment building in Monaco and injured Yermolaiev, a tycoon with Russian ties, as well as a woman and a child who were with him. Berezovska allegedly left the explosive device in a parcel and detonated it remotely. Surveillance footage initially led Monaco prosecutors to believe a man was responsible, but investigators later identified Berezovska as the primary suspect. After the attack, she reportedly fled the scene using a rental car and crossed multiple European borders before returning to Ukraine.
Yermolaiev is a wealthy businessman known for his involvement in commercial real estate, manufacturing, and agriculture through the Alef Group. He was sanctioned by Ukraine in late 2023 for alleged activities related to Russia-occupied Crimea and renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017, obtaining Cypriot nationality. His eldest son was arrested in Cyprus last year on charges related to alleged fraudulent call center operations.
The SBU has not yet disclosed a motive for either the bombing or Berezovska’s killing. However, the discovery of a torture chamber in the home of the former law enforcement officer raised additional concerns. Video and photographs from the scene show a basement outfitted with disturbing torture implements, though it remains unclear if this location is where Berezovska’s body was found.
Berezovska’s return to Ukraine came just days after Interpol issued a red notice accusing her of attempted murder and criminal conspiracy in connection with the Monaco attack. Ukrainian investigators staged a crime reconstruction with one suspect’s testimony, leading them to Berezovska’s body and the recovery of spent shell casings.
The unfolding events have prompted debate within Ukraine regarding the implications for its Western partners. Some lawmakers expressed hope that the situation would not damage international support but called for transparency. Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party, remarked on the swift detention of the suspects as evidence of an efficient operation by Ukrainian law enforcement.
Monaco’s head of state, Prince Albert II, condemned the bombing as an “odious act.” The SBU said it has been cooperating closely with Monaco’s authorities and continues to investigate those who may have authored or directed the bombing plot. Interpol has not commented on the recent arrests.