Yermolayev blames Ukrainian military intelligence for Monaco assassination attempt

“According to available information, the explosives were very rare,” Yermolayev said. “Open sources show that regular military units do not have access to such materials, but HUR does.”

Yermolayev implicated HUR officer Vladyslav Reut, who is accused of directly taking part in the murder of Anastasia Berezovska – the prime suspect in the Monaco bombing.

“There is also information that Reut is an explosives expert who manufactured the device used in the assassination attempt,” Yermolayev asserted. “Therefore, it is a natural conclusion that there is a connection between the source of explosives and Reut's involvement.”

Yermolayev also stated he believes Berezovska did not act alone, suggesting Reut could have obtained the military-grade explosives directly through his department at the intelligence agency.

“[The rare explosive] was smuggled out of Ukraine, delivered as a finished device manufactured by Vladyslav Reut, shipped to Europe, and detonated here,” Yermolayev said. “It is an exceptionally rare liquid explosive that leaves severe chemical burns on the body. This material cannot be bought anywhere and is not used by conventional military forces. It is a highly specialized substance.”

Yermolayev claimed that following the assassination attempt, he contacted HUR officials, who assured him they were reviewing the situation and launching an internal investigation.

“HUR has not really commented on this at all,” Yermolayev stated. “Their position is that the investigation is ongoing and nothing is clear yet. But even regarding Reut, no one has publicly stated that a HUR officer participated in the murder of Anastasia Berezovska. That is a fact.”

The Monaco bombing

A powerful explosion rocked a residential building in Monaco between Boulevard d'Italie and Rue du Révérend Père Louis Frolla on the border with France on the evening of June 29. According to French media, all three victims are members of the same Ukrainian family.

The wounded included Vadym Yermolayev, whose net worth was estimated by Forbes magazine at $220 million in 2021, his partner Anna Nasobina, and their son. The parents, aged between 50 and 60, sustained severe injuries, while the 13-year-old teenager's condition was initially assessed as moderate.

Ukrainska Pravda reported July 7 that the body of a woman suspected of involvement in the attempted murder of Yermolaiev in Monaco had been found near Kyiv on the evening of July 6. The woman was identified as 39-year-old Ukrainian citizen Anastasia Berezovska, whom Interpol had placed on a wanted list in connection with the explosion that injured three people – Yermolaiev, his partner and his son.

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) later confirmed the identity of the slain woman as Anastasia Berezovska. Investigators determined that after returning to Ukraine, she had contacted her family and two men: a former law enforcement officer and a HUR employee.

Both men were charged with premeditated murder, according to prosecutors. One of the suspects confessed to the killing and implicated his accomplice, leading law enforcement officers to conduct a crime scene reenactment that successfully located Berezovska's body.