Ukrainian intelligence agent retracts confession in murder of Monaco bombing suspect Anastasiia Berezovska

The murder of Monaco bombing suspect Anastasiia Berezovska has sparked a major scandal in Ukraine. Berezovska, wanted for the June 29, 2026 attempted assassination of sanctioned oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev, was found shot dead near Kyiv. Active GUR intelligence officer Vladyslav Reut retracted his confession in court, blaming former law enforcement officer Vitalii Zhykovych. The involvement of state intelligence actors has raised serious reputational concerns, prompting scrutiny from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Monaco bombing suspect murder

• ▪The body of 39-year-old Ukrainian citizen Anastasiia Berezovska, wanted by Interpol for a June 29, 2026 bomb attack in Monaco, was found shot dead in a forest near Kyiv, Ukraine
• ▪A Kyiv court ordered two suspects, Vladyslav Reut and Vitalii Zhykovych, to be held in detention without bail on charges of premeditated murder in connection with Anastasiia Berezovska's death

Ukrainian intelligence involvement allegations

• ▪Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) focused on Vladyslav Reut and Vitalii Zhykovych after discovering they had repeatedly transferred money and cryptocurrency to Anastasiia Berezovska's accounts
• ▪Vladyslav Reut is an active, decorated officer in Ukraine's military intelligence agency (GUR), while Vitalii Zhykovych is a former law enforcement officer who recently worked for the SBU security service

Reut court testimony details

• ▪Vladyslav Reut retracted his initial confession of shooting Anastasiia Berezovska, claiming he confessed out of fear for his life and that Vitalii Zhykovych fired the four fatal shots
• ▪Vladyslav Reut testified that Vitalii Zhykovych threatened his relatives and forced him to dig a grave to hide Anastasiia Berezovska's body near the village of Yuriv

Iermolaiev sanctions business background

• ▪Ukrainian-born property developer Vadym Iermolaiev, who was sanctioned by Ukraine in 2023 for alleged business dealings in Russian-annexed Crimea, was wounded in the June 29, 2026 Monaco bombing
• ▪Vadym Iermolaiev, whose fortune was estimated by Forbes at $220 million, renounced his Ukrainian citizenship for Cypriot nationality and has denied the SBU's sanctions-related allegations

Inter-agency rivalry speculation

• ▪Vitalii Zhykovych's defense lawyer, Anatoliy Ivanov, suggested a potential Russian connection, noting that Ukrainian intelligence agents have previously been recruited by Moscow
• ▪The rapid arrest of the suspects by the SBU, which directly blamed an active GUR employee, has led to speculation of animosity and rivalry between the two Ukrainian security agencies

Ukrainian reputational damage concerns

• ▪French President Emmanuel Macron urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate the affair, while Zelenskyy promised to share additional reports on the case
• ▪The involvement of Ukrainian intelligence personnel in the murder of a foreign bombing suspect has raised concerns in Kyiv about potential damage to Ukraine's international reputation