Monaco Bomb Suspect Vitalii Zhykovych Breaks Silence to BBC

Fri Oct 09 2026 01:19:45 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

First‑hand interview reveals former Ukrainian intelligence officer claims his Moscow‑assisted bombing was state‑ordered and exposes a deadman’s plot behind the deadly 2026 Monaco attack.

On 30 June 2026, a bomb detonated outside a wealthy Ukrainian businessman’s car in Monaco, injuring the owner and his family. The bomber, Anastasia Berezovska, was killed in Ukraine before she could be questioned. Former SBU officer Vitalii Zhykovych, now in Kyiv prison, says the attack was approved by senior officers of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) and that the suicide‑bomb plot was part of a broader retaliation for alleged payments to Russian‑occupied Crimea. Zhykovych accuses fellow operative Vladyslav Reut of sending the woman to die, but both men deny each other’s role. The case, still under investigation, has raised questions about state‑sanctioned violence and the blurred lines between espionage and crime.

On 30 June 2026, a bomb exploded near the yacht of Ukrainian billionaire Vadym Yermolayev in Monaco, injuring him, his 13‑year‑old son and his partner. The device, planted by Anastasia Berezovska, detonated as the family walked along the seafront, leaving Yermolayev with catastrophic injuries. The attacker was later found dead in woods west of Kyiv, shot by unknown assailants.

Vitalii Zhykovych, a former member of Ukraine’s Security Service, has been in Ukrainian custody since July. In a BBC interview conducted from a Kyiv prison cell, Zhykovych said the Monaco bombing was a mission “authorised by the Main Directorate of Intelligence” (HUR) and was carried out in retaliation for the businessman’s alleged tax payments to Russia‑occupied Crimea. He described himself as a freelance “agent” who was told the target was approved by HUR’s senior officers.

The interview also revealed that Vladyslav Reut, a current HUR officer, had verbalised the plan to Zhykovych and had persuaded Berezovska to carry out the attack. When Zhykovych allegedly refused, Reut allegedly directed her to conduct reconnaissance and later compelled her to travel to Ukraine, where she was shot. Zhykovych denies sending her to kill, while Reut refuses to confirm the operation was sanctioned, and the two have each blamed the other in court.

Berezovska’s family portrays her as a refugee who was unaware of any conspiracy, while Zhykovych claims she was offered a hefty fee of 50,000 Ukrainian hryvnia to execute the bomb. The former intelligence officer says the woman would have been utilised to counter “Muscovite” aggression, though her husband insists she was coerced.

The murder case remains under full investigation by Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Office, with HUR stating it is committed to a comprehensive inquiry and support for law‑enforcement bodies. Meanwhile, Yermolayev calls for justice and the truth about the attack, dismissing ties to Russian criminal organisations.

The case blurs the boundary between espionage and organised crime, raising concerns over whether the Monaco bombing was a rogue operation, a state‑directed assassination, or a twisted act of re‑tribution. Analysts say a final verdict will only come once all evidence from the bombing site, the murder in Ukraine and the alleged chain of command from HUR are fully examined.