The mysterious case of a suspected bomber accused of targeting a Ukrainian oligarch has become more complex, with new court revelations pointing towards the involvement of Kyiv’s intelligence agencies in the murder of the prime suspect.
Anastasia Berezovska, 39, was identified by French police as the woman captured on CCTV placing a rucksack outside a Monaco apartment building. The device detonated, injuring Ukrainian businessman Vadym Iermolaiev, his partner, and their 13-year-old child as they exited the premises. Prosecutors stated that Berezovska, who had disguised herself as a man, escaped in a car with German license plates, crossing into France and then Italy.
On July 1, Berezovska traveled back to Ukraine, taking a bus to her hometown of Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv. Ukrainian officials announced on Tuesday that her body had been discovered in woods near the capital. According to Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency, Berezovska was met by two men who had previously made payments to her bank and crypto accounts. Vladyslav Reut, one of these men, appeared in court on Thursday, accused of her murder. Reut identified his alleged accomplice as Vitaliy Zhykovych, a former police officer from the Kyiv region.
Ukrainian media reported that Reut, 33, studied law at Kyiv’s national university and previously worked for Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, serving in unit A2772, a special operations forces training center, according to Radio Liberty.
During a court appearance in Kyiv on Thursday, Reut claimed Zhykovych was responsible for Berezovska’s death, stating that the two men took her at gunpoint to a forest near the village of Yuriv, approximately 60km west of the capital. Reut testified that Zhykovych fired the initial shot into the back of her head, followed by another. He recounted that after four shots were fired, Zhykovych compelled him to dig a grave, took all of Berezovska’s personal belongings, and removed her footwear. Reut expressed his willingness to undergo a polygraph test to prove his innocence.
Zhykovych’s lawyer, Anatoliy Ivanov, stated that his client denies the allegations. The SBU confirmed that its officers recovered bullet casings from the forest after the men confessed and found Berezovska’s body. The agency also released footage of what was described as a “torture chamber” in the basement of Zhykovych’s home in Bilogorodka, though investigators later clarified that Berezovska was not tortured before her murder in the woods.
The connection to Ukrainian military intelligence presents an embarrassing situation for Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, even if the men acted independently. French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Zelenskyy to thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure those responsible are punished. Responding to a query from The Guardian, Zelenskyy indicated he anticipates further reports in the coming days regarding the “widely reported” Monaco incident and pledged to update the public.
Mykhailo Tkach, an investigative journalist with Ukrainska Pravda, commented on the potential damage to Ukraine’s reputation, stating it would be difficult to explain if government officials, particularly from the GUR, were involved, necessitating an explanation at the highest level.
In 2023, Ukraine imposed personal sanctions on Iermolaiev, 58, one of Ukraine’s wealthiest individuals with an estimated fortune of $220 million. The SBU accused him of continuing to trade alcohol in occupied Crimea and paying taxes to the Russian treasury. Iermolaiev has described these charges as “surreal” and stated he donates to Ukraine’s military. His son, Artur, was accused by Estonian investigators of establishing fraudulent call centers, for which he received a suspended sentence and paid €8.5 million.
A social acquaintance of Iermolaiev suggested that the bombing and subsequent murder were criminal rather than political acts, possibly related to protection money disputes, describing Berezovska as “disposable.”
Details about Berezovska’s life are still emerging. She had been residing in Frankfurt, where her apartment was searched by German police. Previously, she lived in Zhytomyr, where she made a living breeding dogs. A 2021 court ruling in Zhytomyr found her guilty of petty hooliganism for insulting and using obscene language towards another woman while intoxicated.
The swift arrests of the suspects have surprised observers, with the SBU directly implicating an employee from the rival GUR agency, sparking speculation about animosity between the organizations. Unanswered questions remain regarding how Berezovska re-entered Ukraine and whether she acted alone in Monaco. Ukraine’s state border service confirmed she entered the country “lawfully” on July 1, with no Interpol alerts or database flags indicating she was wanted at the time, as French authorities had not issued an arrest warrant.
The events have raised concerns about Ukraine’s international image. Parliamentary deputy Oleksandr Merezhko expressed hope that the impact would not be serious but stressed that allies deserve an explanation, noting the unusual speed of the arrests could be seen as evidence of an effective law enforcement operation.
