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The Security Service of Ukraine on Tuesday said it has found the body of Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska, who is wanted by authorities in Monaco in connection with the bombing of Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev.
The security service, also known by its local acronym SBU, said an officer working in Ukraine’s military intelligence unit admitted to killing Berezovska with the help of a former law enforcement official. He said he did it on his own without informing his superiors, the SBU statement said.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that Berezovska was killed near Kyiv, although the exact location and circumstances were not immediately clear.
The SBU said that investigators focused on the two men after discovering that they had repeatedly transferred cryptocurrency and other money through bank accounts in Berezovska. During the search, authorities also found what the SBU described as a torture chamber-like basement in the former law enforcement officer’s home.
Investigators found Berezovska’s body during the reconstruction of the crime based on the testimony of another suspect. He had gunshot wounds to the head, and investigators found spent shell casings at the scene, the SBU said.
Both suspects were arrested for murder with intent.
The SBU said it has shared all available information with Monaco investigators and is continuing to identify those who ordered and planned the assassination attempt in Monaco.
Allegedly they were targeted, 2 others were injured
The June 29 attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax havens, the royal family and the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Monaco’s head of state, Prince Albert II, described the explosion as an “outrageous act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure safety.
Later this week, investigators said they identified a rental car with German license plates used by Berezovska in Monaco. His path was followed after the explosion, from France to Italy and then through several European countries to the country where he lived.
Interpol issued a red notice, seeking Berezovska on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive in a public place with criminal intent and criminal conspiracy.
The international police organization said on Tuesday it had no immediate comment and that the red notice on its website would remain in place until Monaco requested it be removed.
Yermolaiev, a construction magnate, was granted Cypriot citizenship in 2019 and placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023. Ukrainian media reported that this was due to doing business in Russian-held Crimea.
Yermolaiev is one of three people injured, the others believed to be the woman he was dating and his young son.
