Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman at the centre of an international manhunt following a parcel bomb attack in Monaco, has been discovered dead in Ukraine. Ukraine's security service (SBU) confirmed that the 39-year-old's body was found with gunshot wounds to the head. The development comes after a cross-border search for Berezovska, who was believed to have fled the principality after planting the explosive device on June 29.
Two individuals, including a serving officer within Ukraine's Ministry of Defence (MoD), have been arrested on suspicion of Berezovska's murder. According to the SBU, Berezovska arrived in Ukraine on July 1, two days after the Monaco incident. During her time in Ukraine, she reportedly communicated with her family and the two men now detained. These individuals had previously been investigated as potential accomplices in the Monaco attack, based on information that they had 'repeatedly transferred funds' to Berezovska's crypto and bank accounts.
One of the arrested men, an intelligence officer, has reportedly confessed to Berezovska's murder, stating he committed the act with 'another suspect'. Further investigations led to the discovery of a basement room resembling a 'torture chamber' during a search of the former law enforcement officer's home. Both suspects are now detained on suspicion of premeditated murder by a group of individuals, and an investigation is ongoing with the 'personal assistance' of Oleg Ivashchenko, the head of the intelligence directorate.
The original attack in Monaco injured three people, two seriously, when a package exploded in the entrance hall of an apartment building. While authorities in Monaco have not officially named the victims, local reports suggest the targets were Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian multi-millionaire, his partner, and his 13-year-old son. Yermolaiev, a real estate developer, was named the 39th richest Ukrainian by Forbes in 2020 with an estimated fortune of $230 million (approximately £180 million). He holds Cypriot citizenship, having renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, and has been living in Monaco.
Yermolaiev has faced sanctions from the Kyiv government since 2023 due to his significant interests in the wine and alcohol sectors in Crimea, a region illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Monaco's deputy prosecutor, Morgan Raymond, stated that Berezovska had spent days casing out the residence and was 'disguised as a man' during the attack. Interpol had issued a red notice for Berezovska, alerting police worldwide that she was wanted for attempted murder, placing an explosive device, and criminal conspiracy. Ukrainian authorities have confirmed their close cooperation with officials in Monaco, sharing all available information as they work to identify 'other suspects' in the initial bombing.