Interpol red notice and murder of Monaco bombing suspect Anastasiia Berezovska
Consensus Summary
Interpol issued a red notice for Anastasiia Berezovska, 39, a Ukrainian woman wanted for a bombing in Monaco that targeted Vadym Iermolaiev, his partner, and their 13-year-old son on Monday evening. Berezovska disguised herself as a man, planted an explosive device, and fled to Germany via France and Italy. She was later found shot dead near Kyiv on Tuesday, with two men arrested for her murder. One suspect, Vladyslav Reut, 33, claimed Vitaliy Zhykovych, a former Kyiv region policeman, was responsible. Berezovska entered Ukraine lawfully on 1 July, with no Interpol or French arrest warrants flagged at the time. Ukrainian authorities accused Iermolaiev of sanctions violations in 2023, while Berezovska’s past included a 2021 petty hooliganism conviction. The case has raised concerns about Ukraine’s intelligence agencies and potential political fallout.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Anastasiia Berezovska, 39, was the main suspect in the Monaco bombing and was wanted by Monaco for attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
- The bombing in Monaco targeted Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev (also referred to as Vadym Iermolaiev), his partner, and their 13-year-old son on Monday evening.
- Berezovska disguised herself as a man and fled to Germany after the attack, renting a car in Germany and driving through France and Italy.
- Berezovska was found shot dead near Kyiv on Tuesday, with two men arrested in connection with her murder.
- One of the arrested men, Vladyslav Reut, 33, was accused of her murder and claimed Vitaliy Zhykovych, a former Kyiv region policeman, was responsible.
- Berezovska entered Ukraine lawfully on 1 July via a regular border crossing point, with no Interpol or French arrest warrants flagged at the time.
- The Monaco bombing occurred two days after the attack on July 1, with the suspect arriving in Ukraine on 1 July.
- Ukraine imposed sanctions on Vadym Iermolaiev in 2023, accusing him of trading alcohol in occupied Crimea and paying taxes to Russia.
- Berezovska was living in Frankfurt, Germany, before the attack, and German police searched her rented flat and car.
- Interpol issued a red notice for Berezovska on Friday, requesting her provisional arrest.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The attack occurred on Monday evening, with Vadym Yermolaiev’s partner still in critical condition.
- Two people were arrested in Monaco earlier this week but have since been released.
- The suspect was later spotted in Frankfurt, and German police secured evidence from her rented flat and car.
- The suspect was described as male on CCTV initially but was later identified as a woman who disguised herself as a man.
- Berezovska was met by two men in Ukraine who made payments to her bank and crypto accounts before her murder.
- The murder occurred in woods near the village of Yuriv, 60km (40 miles) west of Kyiv, with four shots fired.
- Vitaliy Zhykovych, a former Kyiv region policeman, was identified as the shooter by Vladyslav Reut.
- Berezovska’s body was found with a gunshot wound to the head, and bullet casings were recovered by the SBU.
- Ukraine’s SBU accused Iermolaiev’s son, Artur, of creating a criminal organisation engaged in telephone fraud, receiving a suspended sentence and paying €8.5m (£7.2m).
- Berezovska was found guilty of petty hooliganism in 2021 for insulting and pushing another woman while intoxicated.
- The SBU released footage of a blood-stained ‘torture chamber’ in Zhykovych’s home, though investigators later clarified Berezovska was not tortured before her murder.
- A source suggested the bombing was a criminal act over protection money, not political.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The ABC states the bombing occurred on Monday evening, while the Guardian does not specify the exact day of the bombing but confirms the attack on July 1 and Berezovska’s arrival in Ukraine two days later.
- The ABC mentions two arrests in Monaco earlier this week, but the Guardian does not explicitly state this.
- The Guardian reports Berezovska’s body was found near Kyiv at 11pm local time, while the ABC does not specify the time of her death.
- The Guardian states Berezovska was met by two men who made payments to her accounts before her murder, while the ABC does not mention this detail.
Source Articles
Interpol issues wanted notice for Monaco bombing suspect
Investigators are hunting for a woman they say "disguised herself as a man" in connection with in a bomb attack that targeted a wealthy businessman in Monaco.
Monaco bomb mystery deepens as Ukraine’s security services are linked to murder of prime suspect
Military intelligence officer admits witnessing killing of woman believed to have left explosive device outside oligarch’s home The case of a suspected bomber accused of targeting a Ukrainian oligarch has taken another murky turn, after details of her subsequent murder were revealed in court with evidence suggesting the involvement of Kyiv’s intelligence agencies. French police last week named Anastasia Berezovska as the person captured on CCTV leaving a rucksack outside a Monaco apartment block
Woman suspected of Monaco bombing found shot dead near Kyiv
Anastasiia Berezovska was being sought by police over attack that seriously injured a Ukraine-born businessman A woman suspected of carrying out last week’s bomb attack in Monaco that seriously injured a Ukraine-born business tycoon has been found shot dead near Kyiv, in the latest twist in a case that has shaken the wealthy Mediterranean principality. Ukrainian prosecutors said on Tuesday the woman had been found with a gunshot wound to the head and that two men had been arrested in connection
Ukrainian prosecutors confirm Monaco bomb suspect found dead
A Ukrainian woman suspected of a bomb attack that targeted a wealthy Ukrainian-born businessman in Monaco has been found shot dead in Ukraine, according to Ukraine's prosecutor general's office.