In brief
A 39‑year‑old Ukrainian woman involved in a parcel bomb assault that injured a richly‑fabled Ukrainian family in Monaco was found dead in a forest near Kyiv. The Security Service (SBU) said her body, buried under gunshot wounds, disappeared shortly after the bombing. Two men – one a former law‑enforcement officer and the other a current intelligence officer – have been charged in connection with Berezovska’s murder. Authorities claim the suspects had transferred funds to her cryptocurrency and bank accounts and that one of their homes housed a room described as a “torture‑like chamber”. Additional investigations continue to uncover the layers of the plot.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced Sunday that the body of Anastasiia Berezovska, the 39‑year‑old Ukrainian woman suspected of tampering with a parcel bomb that injured a sanctioned Ukrainian billionaire’s family in Monaco, was discovered buried in a forest near Kyiv.
Berezovska was suspected of planting a bomb in an apartment building’s entrance hall on 29 June, which erupted as residents entered at 21:00 local time. Three people were injured, with two suffering serious trauma. Police believe she fled the principality in a hire car to Italy and then Germany before arriving in Ukraine on 1 July.
The SBU police report records that two men – a former law‑enforcement officer and a current member of Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence – met Berezovska in a car two days after she entered the country and that they allegedly aided her escape. Both men have now been charged with intentional murder committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general noted that the two men had previously transferred significant funds to Berezovska’s crypto and bank accounts, suggesting a collaborative plot. An investigation of the former officer’s home uncovered a basement room described as “resembling a torture chamber”, though authorities say the room was not linked to the case and may simply reflect the suspect’s profile.
Interpol had issued a red notice for Berezovska, marking her as a fugitive wanted for attempted murder and criminal conspiracy. The SBU confirmed it shared all available information with Monaco law‑enforcement authorities, who still have not released the victims’ identities but have identified a real‑estate developer, Vadym Yermolaiev, and his family as potential targets.
Key Background
- Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian real‑estate developer ranked 39th richest in the country and registered as a Cypriot citizen, was said to be the primary target.
- He has held major interests in wine and alcohol in Crimea and has faced sanctions imposed by Kyiv in 2023.
- Interpol’s red notice lists Berezovska as a suspect in multiple explosive device placements and “criminal conspiracy.”
For further detail and updates, follow the full story on BBC News.
