Monaco bombing suspect found shot dead in Kyiv

A Ukrainian woman wanted over a parcel bomb attack that seriously injured a wealthy businessman and his family in Monaco has been found shot dead in Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said, adding that two men — including a current military intelligence officer — have been detained on suspicion of murder.

Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, said Anastasiia Berezovska, 39, was found with gunshot wounds to the head after returning to Ukraine following the bombing. Interpol had issued a red notice for Berezovska on Friday, saying she was wanted in Monaco on charges including attempted murder, criminal intent in placing an explosive device on a public road and criminal conspiracy.

The blast occurred in the entrance hall of an apartment building in Monaco. The BBC reported that officials believed Berezovska had spent days casing the residence and was “disguised as a man” during the attack. Monaco’s deputy public prosecutor, Morgan Raymond, said the device was detonated remotely. Three people were injured when the package exploded as they entered the building shortly after 21:00 local time, according to the BBC.

Monaco authorities have not confirmed the victims’ identities. French, Ukrainian and local media have reported that the attack targeted Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and his 13-year-old son. CBS News reported that Yermolaiev and his wife were seriously wounded, while their teenage son suffered less serious injuries. The BBC described Yermolaiev as a sanctioned Ukrainian multimillionaire and real estate developer who was listed by Forbes in 2020 as the 39th-richest Ukrainian, with a reported fortune of $230 million.

Yermolaiev is originally from Ukraine and is now a Cypriot citizen, having renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, the BBC reported. He has lived in Monaco and has business interests in wine and alcohol in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Kyiv imposed sanctions on him in 2023, according to the BBC.

The SBU said Berezovska arrived in Ukraine on July 1 and that investigators quickly established she had been in contact with relatives and two men: a former law enforcement officer and a current officer in Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence main intelligence directorate. Investigators examined the men as possible accomplices in the Monaco attack after finding they had “repeatedly transferred funds” to Berezovska’s crypto and bank accounts, the agency said.

The intelligence officer later confessed to killing Berezovska with another suspect, according to the SBU. The agency said he told investigators he “had not informed his superiors about his contacts” with her and had “acted at his own discretion.” Both suspects were detained on suspicion of premeditated murder committed by a group.

During a search of the former law enforcement officer’s home, investigators found “a basement room resembling a torture chamber,” the SBU said.

The agency said the investigation is continuing with the “personal assistance” of Oleg Ivashchenko, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate. Ukrainian authorities have shared available information with Monaco, whose prosecutors are in close cooperation with Ukraine’s prosecutor general, the BBC reported. Law enforcement officials are also working to identify other suspects in the bombing.

The attack rattled Monaco, a small sovereign state known for its concentration of wealthy residents. Prince Albert II called it “an odious act” and said public services had been mobilized to ensure security.