Ukrainian intelligence officers organized Monaco bombing that wounded businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, sources say

The Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing sources close to the investigation, that two men with ties to Ukraine's security services are believed to have organized the assassination attempt on businessman Vadym Yermolaiev in Monaco. They are Vladyslav Reut, a serving officer in Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), and Vitalii Zhykovych, a former officer of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The two men had already been named as suspects in the killing of Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman suspected of carrying out the bombing.

Reut and Zhykovych are cooperating with investigators and providing detailed testimony. They said that Berezovska had lived in Germany for several years as a refugee with her son, and that one of her motives for participating in the attack was money—she hoped to earn enough to buy a house in Ukraine. The men claimed they paid for her travel, lodging, car rental, and other expenses. Before the attempt on Yermolaiev, Berezovska had taken part in other operations, including some involving blogger Anatoliy Shariy, though Ukrainska Pravda did not specify what those were. One of the men said the original plan had been to kidnap Yermolaiev.

Reut said he had built an "electronic initiation unit that triggers the detonation of the main charge," according to the sources. The unit was disguised as a child's toy car and passed to Berezovska via Germany. She then assembled the bomb. Zhykovych said Berezovska could not have built such a device on her own, as it requires specialized knowledge and training. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office told Ukrainska Pravda that Reut and Zhykovych are currently suspects only in Berezovska's killing.

The attempt on Yermolaiev occurred on June 29. A bag containing a bomb was left in the entrance of his apartment building in Monaco, and the bomb exploded as he was walking in with his partner and his 13-year-old son. All three were injured; his partner later had both legs amputated. The next day, Le Figaro reported that investigators in Monaco had not ruled out SBU involvement in the attack, noting that the bombing looked more like a "warning" than an attempt on Yermolaiev's life.

Within days, investigators identified Berezovska as the suspect. She entered Ukraine on July 1. Ukrainian law enforcement announced on July 7 that Berezovska had been found dead. Reut admitted to killing her, saying he acted alongside Zhykovych. Reut said he never told his superiors about his contacts with Berezovska and insisted he acted alone, without orders.