Ukrainian intelligence officers organized the Monaco bombing that wounded businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, sources tell Ukrainska Pravda

Investigators believe the assassination attempt on businessman Vadym Yermolaiev in Monaco was organized by two men with ties to Ukraine’s security services, the Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing sources close to the investigation. 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 giving detailed testimony, according to Ukrainska Pravda. They said that Berezovska had lived in Germany for several years as a refugee with her son, and that one of her motives for taking part in the attack was money. She hoped to earn enough to buy a house in Ukraine, they said.

The two men said they paid for her travel, lodging, car rental, and other expenses. Before the attempt on Yermolaiev, they said, Berezovska had taken part in other operations, including some involving the blogger Anatoliy Shariy. Ukrainska Pravda did not say what those operations 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 by way of Germany. She then assembled the bomb. Zhykovych said Berezovska could not have built such a device on her own, because building one requires specialized knowledge and training.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office told Ukrainska Pravda that Reut and Zhykovych are for now suspects only in Berezovska’s killing.

The attempt on Yermolaiev took place 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. According to the paper, the bombing looked more like a “warning” than an attempt on Yermolaiev’s life.

Within days, investigators identified Berezovska as the suspect behind the assassination attempt. She entered Ukraine on July 1. Ukrainian law enforcement officials 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 had acted alone, without orders.