A Ukrainian businessman seriously injured in an assassination attempt in Monaco has blamed Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the GUR, for organising the attack. Vadym Iermolaiev, who was targeted alongside his partner and young son, said in his first public statement that serving and former officers of the agency were directly involved.
The bomb, planted by Ukrainian national Anastasiia Berezovska, detonated as Iermolaiev emerged from a building with his family. The explosion tore apart steel railings and destroyed stone steps. Iermolaiev remains in intensive care, while his partner Anna suffered catastrophic injuries and their 13-year-old son sustained burns and fractures.
Days after the attack, Berezovska was found dead near Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities have arrested two suspects: Vladyslav Reut, a GUR officer, and Oleksandr Zhykovych, a former law enforcement officer. Prosecutors allege they forced Berezovska into a car and murdered her in a forest. Reut has claimed Zhykovych was responsible for the killing.
Iermolaiev rejected suggestions that the GUR acted without leadership approval, stating that the conspiracy extended beyond the direct perpetrators to include individuals close to the agency’s current and former leadership. Ukrainian prosecutors have sought to portray the case as the actions of a rogue officer.
The motive remains unclear. Iermolaiev, a wealthy businessman with a fortune estimated at $220m, was sanctioned by Ukraine in 2023 for trading in Russian-occupied Crimea. The incident comes at a politically sensitive time for President Zelenskyy, who is facing scrutiny over security matters. There is no precedent for such a bombing on European soil by Ukrainian intelligence.
