KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian prosecutors have made public surveillance video of what they describe as the bombing in Monaco that left wealthy businessman Vadym Yermolaiev and members of his family with serious injuries.
The explosion occurred on June 30 and sent shockwaves through the exclusive and famously private Mediterranean principality. The reason behind the attack has not been established. Investigators from Monaco, France, and Ukraine have all been working on the case, alongside international policing organization Interpol.
The woman suspected of carrying out the bombing, Anastasiia Berezovska, was discovered dead in Ukraine just days after the attack. A Ukrainian military intelligence officer later admitted to killing her, but claimed he acted entirely on his own without authorization from his superiors, according to Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU.
In the footage shared with The Associated Press on Saturday, an individual wearing a hat and carrying a bag can be seen leaving an object in the entryway of a building before walking away. In the background, a man, a woman, and a child can be seen approaching the same entryway. As the three near the entrance, an explosion occurs and the video becomes distorted.
Ukrainian chief prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko stated in a post on Telegram that the footage came from a surveillance camera that the suspected perpetrators had set up themselves to confirm the attack happened. He added that the footage had been erased but was successfully recovered by SBU technical experts.
The prosecutor’s office in Monaco did not respond to requests for comment regarding the video or where the investigation currently stands.
Lawyers representing Yermolaiev sent a letter this week alleging that Ukrainian security services were responsible for organizing the bombing and calling for protection for his family.
In the letter, which was provided to French media outlets, Yermolaiev stated that Ukrainian military intelligence was directly involved in what he described as an assassination attempt against his family. He wrote that he remains in the hospital, that his partner Anna has suffered injuries described as “irreversible,” and that their 13-year-old son sustained burns and fractures.
In an unusual turn, the letter also expressed gratitude toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his personal attention to the situation and for unspecified help he reportedly provided, according to the French media reports.
Yermolaiev was placed under sanctions by Zelenskyy’s government in 2023 due to his connections to Russia, and he has stated that he gave up his Ukrainian citizenship. Zelenskyy has not addressed whether he played any role in assisting Yermolaiev.
