A Ukrainian court has ordered two men to remain behind bars without the possibility of bail after they were accused of killing a woman who was herself a suspect in a Monaco bombing, Ukraine’s top prosecutor announced Thursday.
The body of Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian national, was discovered with gunshot wounds to the head, with pistol cartridges found nearby. Ukrainian authorities made the announcement Tuesday, revealing that Berezovska had been sought by Interpol in connection with a June 29 bomb attack in Monaco.
Authorities identified the two men taken into custody as a current officer with Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, known as HUR, and a former law enforcement officer. Both were detained on suspicion of carrying out the killing.
The Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed Thursday that a Kyiv court formally ordered the pair held in detention, with no option for bail.
According to Ukrainian media reports citing court proceedings, the military intelligence officer has since recanted his confession. He claimed the other defendant was the one who fired the shots, and said he had only confessed because he feared for his own life.
The Monaco bombing on June 29 wounded Ukrainian-born property developer Vadym Yermolaiev, along with his partner and son, according to sources familiar with the case. Yermolaiev, who obtained Cypriot citizenship seven years ago, was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the year before.
Berezovska faced charges in Monaco that included attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public location with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
