A court in Ukraine ordered the arrest of an intelligence officer and a former police officer on suspicion of killing the suspect in a bombing targeting a businessman in Monaco. The detainees were identified as Vladyslav Reut, an officer of Ukraine's military intelligence GUR, and former police officer Vitalli Zhykovych.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office announced that the body of 39-year-old Anastasiia Berezovska was found with a gunshot wound to the head and that empty shell casings were discovered at the scene. Berezovska had been sought by Interpol as the key suspect in the June 29 bombing targeting Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev in Monaco.
Monaco authorities were seeking Berezovska on charges of attempted murder, placing explosives in a public area, and forming a criminal organization. The prosecutor's office stated that Berezovska returned to Ukraine by bus via Poland two days after the attack and that her trail was followed through cryptocurrency transfers.
It was learned that GUR officer Vladyslav Reut, one of the detained suspects, initially confessed to shooting Berezovska and led authorities to the location of the body. However, in court, Reut retracted this statement and claimed that the other suspect, Vitalli Zhykovych, fired the weapon. Reut said he made the earlier confession out of fear.
The motives behind the attack remain unclear. It is still unknown why Yermolaiev, who has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2023 and continues to do business in Crimea, was targeted. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would soon release additional reports on the matter.