Woman suspected in bomb attack on Ukrainian magnate found dead in Kyiv

A Ukrainian woman suspected of planting a bomb that targeted a wealthy Ukrainian-born businessman in the tiny principality of Monaco has been found shot dead in Ukraine’s capital, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office said Tuesday.

Authorities detained an employee of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR), who allegedly admitted to killing the woman together with another suspect identified as a former law enforcement officer, Ukraine’s National Security Service said in a statement shared online.

Interpol had named 39-year-old Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska as the suspect in the Monaco bombing that occurred exactly one week ago. The blast in the lobby of an apartment building was widely reported to have targeted Ukrainian magnate Vadym Yermolaiev and his family.

Yermolaiev and his wife were left seriously wounded while their teenage son sustained less serious injuries, according to French and Ukrainian media.

The International Criminal Police Organization on Friday listed Berezovska under a “Red Notice” on its website, saying she was wanted in Monaco on charges of attempted murder and criminal intent of placing an explosive device on a public road.

In its statement Tuesday, Ukraine’s SBU security agency said Berezovska arrived in Ukraine on July 1, the day after the bombing, and that an investigation quickly established that she had communicated with her family and two men.

“The first is a former law enforcement officer, the second is a current employee of the HUR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” the SBU said. “Having information that both men had repeatedly made transfers to Berezovskaya A.’s crypto and bank accounts, the investigation was working them out as persons possibly involved in the attempted murder in Monaco.”

The HUR employee admitted to killing Berezovskaya in collaboration with the other suspect, according to the SBU, but said he “had not informed his superiors about his contacts” with the woman and “had acted at his own discretion.”

The security agency added that during a search of the former law enforcement officer’s home, “a basement room resembling a torture chamber was discovered.”

Monaco authorities have not confirmed the victims’ identities but French and Ukrainian media say the attack targeted Yermolaiev, 58, a wealthy businessman originally from Ukraine and now a Cypriot national, as well as his partner and their 13-year-old son. 

Monaco’s deputy public prosecutor Morgan Raymon said last week that the bomb was detonated from a distance, using a remote control.   

The attack shocked Monaco, one of the world’s smallest sovereign states known for its high concentration of wealthy residents. Monaco’s Prince Albert II described it as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.