Suspect in Monaco Parcel Bombing Found Dead in Ukraine, Two Detained
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The woman suspected of carrying out a parcel bombing in Monaco that injured a sanctioned Ukrainian multi-millionaire and his family has been found dead in Ukraine, the country's security service (SBU) has announced.
A cross-border manhunt had been launched for Anastasiia Berezovska, a Ukrainian woman whom officials believed had fled the city-state after planting an explosive device in the entrance hall of an apartment building on 29 June.
According to the SBU, the body of the 39-year-old was found with gunshot wounds to the head. Two people, including a serving officer within Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, have been detained on suspicion of her murder.
A trail leading back to Ukraine
The SBU said Berezovska arrived in Ukraine on 1 July, two days after the attack, citing law enforcement sources. Once there, she reportedly communicated with her family and with two men: a former law enforcement officer and a current officer in the Ministry of Defence's main intelligence directorate.
The two men were investigated as possible accomplices in the Monaco attack after information emerged that they had "repeatedly transferred funds" to Berezovska's crypto and bank accounts, the agency said.
The intelligence officer later confessed to the killing, stating he had carried it out with "another suspect," according to the SBU. During a search of the former law enforcement officer's home, investigators said they discovered a basement room resembling a torture chamber.
"Both suspects were detained on suspicion of committing murder with premeditation by a group of individuals," the agency said. It added that the investigation is ongoing with the "personal assistance" of the head of the intelligence directorate, Oleg Ivashchenko.
How the Monaco attack unfolded
Monaco's deputy prosecutor Morgan Raymond said Berezovska had spent several days observing the residence and was "disguised as a man" during the attack. A package exploded just as people entered the building shortly after 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT), injuring three people, two of them seriously.
Berezovska was believed to have fled by hire car to Italy and onwards to Germany. German special forces searched an apartment rented by a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman "currently on the run" in the central state of Hesse. Interpol subsequently issued a red notice, alerting police worldwide that she was a fugitive wanted for attempted murder, placing an explosive device on a public road with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
Investigation and international cooperation
The SBU said Ukrainian authorities had shared all available information with officials in Monaco, and that its prosecutor general was in "close co-operation" with them. Law enforcement authorities said they were working to identify "other suspects" connected to the attack.
Authorities in Monaco have not confirmed the identities of the victims, but local media reported that real estate developer Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and his 13-year-old son had been targeted.
Yermolaiev was named the 39th richest Ukrainian by Forbes in 2020, with a reported fortune of $230m (£173.8m). His major interests are in wine and alcohol in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and he has been the subject of sanctions imposed by Kyiv since 2023. A Cypriot citizen who renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, he has been living in Monaco.
The case continues to unfold across several countries, raising questions about who ordered the attack and why. As investigators in both Monaco and Ukraine pursue further leads, share this article to keep others informed as the story develops.
