Ukrainian Court Detains Two Men in Killing of Monaco Bombing Suspect

A Ukrainian court has ordered two men held without bail in connection with the killing of a woman who was wanted by Interpol for her alleged role in a bomb attack on a multimillionaire in Monaco.

The case has captivated public attention in Ukraine, where the motives behind both the attempted assassination and the subsequent killing of the alleged suspect remain shrouded in mystery.

Court Orders Detention Without Bail

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office confirmed that a Kyiv court had ordered the detention of two individuals accused of killing 39-year-old Ukrainian national Anastasiia Berezovska. The suspects were identified as a serving and decorated officer within Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as the GUR, and a former law enforcement officer.

Both men are being held without bail as the investigation continues.

Berezovska's body was discovered on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian authorities. She had sustained gunshot wounds to the head, and spent cartridges were recovered near the scene.

The murky saga has rocked Ukraine and drawn widespread attention, as authorities have yet to establish clear motives for either the attempted murder in Monaco or the killing of the woman suspected of carrying it out.

Monaco Bombing Targeted Sanctioned Businessman

Interpol had named Berezovska as a key suspect in a bombing that took place on June 29 in Monaco. The powerful evening explosion struck a residential building situated on the border between Monaco and France, seriously wounding Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev along with his son and his partner.

Yermolaiev, a property magnate, has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2023 for maintaining business operations in Russian-occupied Crimea. According to local media reports, he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in favor of Cypriot nationality and has not resided in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion.

The reasons why Yermolaiev was targeted in the bombing remain unknown.

Monaco authorities had formally charged Berezovska with attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public area with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy in relation to the attack.

Cryptocurrency Trail and Retracted Confession

Court proceedings revealed that Berezovska traveled to Ukraine by bus from Poland just two days after the Monaco explosion. Investigators were able to track her movements and identify her alleged killers by following a trail of cryptocurrency transfers.

Earlier in the week, Vladyslav Reut, the suspected intelligence officer, reportedly confessed to shooting Berezovska and led investigators to the location of her grave.

However, during Thursday's court appearance, Reut withdrew his earlier confession. According to Ukrainian media reports citing the court proceedings, he instead accused his co-defendant, Vitalli Zhykovych, of being the one who fired the fatal shots. Reut claimed that his initial confession had been given out of fear.

Prosecutors have stated that the motives behind both the Monaco bombing and Berezovska's killing are still under active investigation.

Zelenskyy Promises Further Revelations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the case on Thursday night, promising that additional relevant reports would be disclosed soon. He did not provide further details about what those reports might contain.

The case has raised significant questions in Ukraine, particularly given the involvement of an active and decorated member of the country's military intelligence apparatus in the alleged killing. The fact that the victim was herself a suspect in an international bombing plot has only deepened the intrigue.

As the investigation continues and the two defendants remain in custody without bail, multiple questions remain unanswered. The motive for targeting Yermolaiev, a sanctioned businessman with ties to Russian-occupied Crimea, is still unclear. Equally mysterious is why Berezovska was killed after returning to Ukraine, and who may have ordered her death.

With the president's promise of additional information and ongoing court proceedings, this developing story is likely to produce more revelations. If you found this report valuable, please consider sharing it with others who follow international news and want to stay informed about this unfolding case.

Source: Al Jazeera English