Ukraine Intelligence Ties Cast Shadow Over Monaco Assassination Plot
Prosecutors are examining whether the explosive attack on the Ukrainian-Cypriot businessman was orchestrated by intelligence operatives who then silenced the alleged triggerman.
The investigation into the June 29 bombing at the Monaco residence of Vadym Yermolaiev has entered a critical phase following the discovery of the body of Anastasia Berezovska near Kyiv on July 7. Berezovska, a Ukrainian national, was identified by prosecutors as the individual who planted the explosive device that injured Yermolaiev, his partner, and their 13-year-old son. Her death has shifted the focus of the inquiry toward two men with significant ties to Ukraine’s security apparatus, Vladyslav Reut and Vitaliy Shykovych, who have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Surveillance footage from the French Riviera initially depicted a figure in a dark suit, which investigators later narrowed down to a heavily built woman with a distinctive snake tattoo. Berezovska, who had been living in Germany under temporary protection, fled the scene immediately after the remote detonation of the backpack bomb. She returned briefly to the Frankfurt region before crossing into Ukraine by bus on July 1, eventually reaching her mother’s home in the village of Horodyshche. Her final movements, including a taxi ride to a highway near Makariv, were recorded before she was found dead in a forest.
The suspects, Reut and Shykovych, present a direct link to the state’s intelligence structures. Reut is a former officer of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR), while Shykovych served with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) until April of this year. According to investigators, Berezovska contacted only her relatives and these two men after returning to Ukraine. Reut initially confessed to killing her on July 6 but later retracted his statement in court, claiming he was coerced and blaming Shykovych. Shykovych has declined to make any statement.
Authorities are now assessing whether Berezovska acted as an independent agent or was directed by Reut and Shykovych to carry out the attack. One prevailing theory under investigation is that the two men organised the bombing and subsequently eliminated Berezovska to prevent her from exposing their involvement. This scenario suggests a potential internal purge or a silencing of a operative who may have failed to secure the target or posed a liability.
Speculation regarding the motive for the attack has generated conflicting narratives. Some European media outlets have suggested the bombing was a covert operation by Ukrainian intelligence aimed at discrediting Yermolaiev, who is under sanctions for business activities in occupied Crimea. However, Deutsche Welle has verified that Yermolaiev was never invited to speak at the European Parliament, refuting claims that the attack was intended to silence him before a parliamentary address.
In response to the escalating complexity of the case, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated the formation of a joint international investigative team. The inquiry aims to determine the full chain of command and responsibility for both the bombing in Monaco and the subsequent murder in Ukraine. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for Ukraine’s security sector and its international standing.
