2 Ex-Ukraine Intelligence Men Arrested in Berezovska Murder After Monaco Bomb Plot
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jul 16
2 Ex-Ukraine Intelligence Men Arrested in Berezovska Murder After Monaco Bomb Plot
3 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jul 16
Summary
Two men with ties to Ukraine’s HUR and SBU were arrested over the killing of 39-year-old Anastasia Berezovska, whose body was found near Kyiv on July 7 after a June 29 bombing in Monaco.
Monaco prosecutors say Berezovska planted a backpack bomb outside businessman Vadym Yermolaiev’s home, injuring him, his partner and their 13-year-old son before fleeing through Germany to Ukraine.
Investigators say Berezovska contacted only relatives and the two suspects after returning to Ukraine; one suspect, Vladyslav Reut, initially confessed to the July 6 killing, then blamed alleged accomplice Vitaliy Shykovych in court.
Ukrainian investigators are examining whether the two men also directed the Monaco attack and killed Berezovska to silence her, a line of inquiry that could expose a wider operation and spark an international scandal.
A bombing in Monaco, a murder in Kyiv: Are Ukraine's spies now operating beyond international law?
Why was a sanctioned oligarch targeted in Monaco, and what secrets did the bomber take to her grave?
Monaco Bombing and Kyiv Murder: Inside the 2026 Parcel Attack, Intelligence Scandal, and International Fallout
Overview
The Monaco bombing on June 29, 2026, left businessman Vadym Iermolaiev and his family seriously injured, with Anastasiia Berezovska quickly named as the main suspect. After fleeing across Europe, Berezovska returned to Ukraine, where she was soon found murdered near Kyiv. This shocking turn shifted the investigation from the bombing to her death. Authorities then arrested Vladyslav Reut, a military intelligence officer, and Vitalii Zhykovych, a former law enforcement officer, for their suspected involvement in Berezovska’s murder, highlighting a tangled web of crime, intelligence ties, and unanswered questions about motive and accountability.