A court‑room in Kyiv became the center of a gripping saga when Vladyslav Reut, a 34‑year‑old officer of the Ukrainian military intelligence service (GUR), stepped forward to claim he was not the gunman who killed Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman implicated in a suspected bomb attack on a Monaco multimillionaire.
Reut had earlier led investigators to Berezovska’s grave in forested woods near Kyiv, a site that seemed to cement his early‑stage confessional narrative. The new statement, however, shifts all blame onto his co‑defendant, Vitalii Zhykovych, a former SBU official recently released from dormancy, and he maintains that he was coerced by Zhykovych under threat to his relatives.
The case unfolds against the backdrop of a violent incident outside Monaco’s border with France, where a parcel bomb allegedly targeted businessman Vadym Yermolayev. Yermolayev, who had renounced Ukrainian citizenship and faced sanctions for activities in Crimea, had reportedly been monitored by Ukrainian intelligence for years. The alleged attack remains officially unsolved, but the death of Berezovska adds a new layer of mystery.
Jurors described a stark scene: both men cuffed, eyes obscured by face masks, and whole faces behind balaclavas, a testimony that underscored the peril of corruption and espionage. The prosecution insists the two men acted in concert, yet Zhykovych’s attorney dismissed claims of a crime orchestrated by a civilian, labeling Reut a low‑level SBU auxiliary.
Investigators have identified cash and cryptocurrency outlets that both men used to fund Berezovska’s accounts, a trail that spurred the initial leads. Yet no conclusive motive has emerged, with police speculating a possible Russian conduit or organised‑crime involvement. President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised to “provide additional relevant reports” as investigations progress.
The two suspects have been denied bail and remain detained while probing continues. Lawyers and prosecutors alike remain cautious, marking the case as a critical point of tension for Ukrainian security apparatuses facing potential infiltration from foreign powers.
Further evidence and motives are still pending. The Ukrainian judiciary will revisit these allegations as fresh details surface.
