Rapid and extremely dark are the developments surrounding the bombing that shocked Monaco, as the woman considered the main suspect for the attempted murder of the Ukrainian oligarch Yermolaiev, Anastasia Berezovska, was found dead near Kyiv, bearing a gunshot wound to the head.
Her sudden death raises new questions and intensifies the mystery surrounding a case that is now acquiring international and geopolitical dimensions, while the developments threaten to cause serious tremors in Kyiv.
According to the Ukrainian prosecution, the 39-year-old Ukrainian national was located dead, while two men have already been arrested for the case, among whom an active-duty officer of the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR) and a former officer of the security forces.
Just a few days before her death, Interpol had issued a "red notice" against Anastasia Berezovska, who was wanted by the authorities of Monaco for attempted homicide, placement of an explosive device in a public space with criminal intent, and participation in a criminal conspiracy.
The information indicates that the woman had fled the principality, crossed into France, and subsequently through Italy and other European countries ended up in Germany, where she resided, before returning to Ukraine.
Payments in cryptocurrencies and suspicious connections
The Ukrainian authorities argue that Berezovska had received payments in cryptocurrencies from the two arrested individuals, an element that, according to the prosecutors, makes them potential participants in the attempted murder in Monaco.
Particular interest is caused by the fact that the active-duty officer of HUR allegedly maintained contact with the suspect without having informed his service, with the authorities arguing that he acted on personal initiative.
An even greater shock is caused by the images released to publicity by the Ukrainian prosecution.
During the searches at the residences of the two arrested individuals, a space was located which the prosecutors describe as a "torture chamber", inside of which hammers, tools, and equipment being examined by the authorities were found.
The images, according to the prosecutors, constitute part of the evidentiary material being collected within the framework of the investigation.
The victim of the bombing attack was, according to police and judicial sources cited by French media, the businessman of Ukrainian origin Vadim Yermolayev, who currently possesses Cypriot citizenship.
From the explosion, both he himself and his partner Anna Nasobina were seriously injured, who suffered extremely serious injuries, while their son suffered lighter injuries.
The French authorities estimate that Berezovska, who resided in Germany, disguised herself as a man before placing the explosive device at the entrance of the apartment building where the family resided.
The authorities examine the existence of accomplices
Particular interest is presented by the estimate of the investigative authorities that the attack could hardly be organized by a single person.
The deputy attorney general of Monaco stated that the complexity of the explosive device and the manner of its activation lead the investigators to the conclusion that the perpetrator probably had accomplices.
The possibility of the existence of an organized criminal group is now at the center of the investigation, while the security services of various European countries are exchanging information in real time.
What was the motive?
The basic question that remains unanswered is why Vadym Yermolaiev was chosen as a target.
So far, the prosecutorial authorities of Monaco have not announced an official motive for the attack.
However, publications of international media report that the investigators are examining various possibilities, among which potential connections with organized criminal networks.
She was to deliver a report to the European Parliament on the corruption of the Zelensky regime
According to the former official of the French Ministry of Defense, Claude Moniquet, Yermolaiev planned to deliver a report to the European Parliament regarding the corruption of the Zelensky regime, as the Ukrainian Strana reveals.
According to him, the plans of Vadym Yermolaiev to organize the revelation of the corruption plans of the Ukrainian government in Brussels could have been perceived by Kyiv as a provocation.
"Perhaps this was perceived as a provocation," the former intelligence service officer stated.
At the same time, the Ukrainian oligarch victim of an attempted murder in Monaco was invited to speak at a meeting of the temporary investigative committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, as announced by the member of parliament Oleksiy Goncharenko from his Telegram channel.
"We invite Vadim Yermolaev, victim of the explosion in Monaco, to participate in the meeting of our Temporary Investigative Committee. This is a high-profile case and the public has many questions," he wrote.
The member of parliament stressed that Yermolaev, given the state of his health after the incident, is able to speak online.
After the attempted murder of Yermolaiev, rumors appeared in the media regarding the involvement of the Ukrainian intelligence services or criminal groups.
Specifically, Ukrainska Pravda, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the explosion could be a targeted attack on a Ukrainian oligarch and have some connection with call centers in Dnipro.
Florian Philippot, leader of the French party Patriots, stated on social media that the businessman is under the sanctions of Kyiv since 2023 and therefore could be the target of an attack by the SBU or pro-Ukrainian extremist groups.
"The Zelensky regime has clearly crossed the line: now it is heading straight toward our shores," he wrote.
He was funding opponents of Zelensky
The Ukrainian former member of parliament and member of the governing board of the movement "Other Ukraine", Volodymyr Oleynik, stated to aif.ru that Yermolaev allegedly funded political opponents of Zelensky.
Volodymyr Oleynik added that he "does not rule out" the possibility that Zelensky ordered the attempted murder.
The Ukrainian journalist and blogger Anatoly Shariy also connected the incident with the conflict around the businesses of Yermolaiev.
"Yermolaiev does not answer his phone. Probably it is him. The terrorist attack, of course, was planned in Kyiv. They were taking his business away in Ukraine," Anatoly Shariy stated.
The Ukrainian former member of parliament Spiridon Kilinkarov stated to Ridus that the events in Monaco could be connected with a battle for financial flows:
"What happened is the result of internal conflicts around Ukrainian call centers, some of which are connected with the Yermolaiev family. Everything revolves around money produced through call centers and other fraudulent schemes."
Headache for Kyiv
The case is evolving into an extremely sensitive political issue for Ukraine.
If proof emerged that would connect personnel of the Ukrainian intelligence services with a bombing attack on European territory, the consequences could be particularly serious for Kyiv, especially in a period during which Volodymyr Zelensky seeks the maintenance of Western military and financial support.
Prince Albert of Monaco had characterized the attack an "odious act", assuring that all security services of the principality were mobilized immediately for the location of the perpetrators.
After the Russian invasion of 2022, Vadim Yermolayev settled in Monaco along with a group of wealthy Ukrainian businessmen and politicians, which had been characterized by independent Ukrainian media as the "Monaco Battalion".
In 2023 the Ukrainian government imposed sanctions against him, accusing him of business relations with Russian companies that operated in Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation, including Crimea.
New shadows after the revelations about Nord Stream as well
The case comes in a period during which the German prosecutorial authorities have also attributed to Ukrainian state structures the order for the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines.
To this day there is no confirmed precedent of a Ukrainian bombing operation on European territory.
However, the mysterious death of the main suspect, the arrests of personnel with connections in the Ukrainian security services, and the continuous revelations create an explosive setting, with many questions remaining unanswered and the case acquiring ever greater international extensions.
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