French authorities have issued an Interpol red notice for a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman suspected of the attempted murder of sanctioned businessman Vadym Yermolaev, as investigators confirm the perpetrator “did not act alone.”
The alleged assailant
A Ukrainian national, Anastasia Berezovska, is the prime suspect in the bombing and attempted murder of businessman Vadym Yermolaev in Monaco, according to the Interpol database. The 39-year-old is wanted by Monegasque authorities on charges of attempted murder in a public place using an explosive device. Her Interpol profile notes a distinctive tattoo on her right arm and confirms she speaks German. The suspect was subsequently located in Germany.
A co-ordinated plot
Two men were initially detained in Monaco in connection with the blast, the principality’s prosecutor general told French broadcaster BFMTV. “Two men were arrested and taken into custody in Monaco on Wednesday,” the office confirmed. However, investigators found no evidence of their “active participation”, and both individuals were later released.
Despite these releases, the prosecution emphasised that the wanted Ukrainian citizen did not carry out the operation alone. “The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the method of its deployment appear to indicate that the person who planted the device did not act alone,” the prosecutor’s office stated.
The attack
The explosion occurred on June 29 outside the entrance to a residential building in Monaco, injuring Yermolaev, a Ukrainian-born tycoon. CCTV footage captured a suspect leaving a rucksack at the scene before fleeing. Yermolaiev, originally from Dnipro, built a fortune through development and was once dubbed the “chief architect of Dnipro” for reshaping the city’s skyline. The founder of Alef Corporation ranked among Ukraine’s top 100 wealthiest individuals before renouncing his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 to become a Cypriot national.
In December 2023, Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council imposed sanctions on Yermolaev. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, he had allegedly re-registered his alcohol business in Crimea under Russian law after 2014, continuing operations and paying taxes to the Russian budget.
A political motive?
Speculation in Ukrainian media suggests the attempt on Yermolaev’s life was not rooted in criminal disputes over call-centre rackets but in high-stakes politics. Reports indicate Yermolaiev was not merely a donor but the key fundraiser for a potential political project linked to Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine’s former commander-in-chief.
Observers have highlighted a telling timeline that points towards the Office of the President. On Monday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and parliamentary leader David Arakhamia reportedly attempted to persuade Zaluzhny to abandon any electoral ambitions. Immediately after it became clear the general had refused, his chief financier was targeted. Further raising the stakes, Yermolaev had been scheduled to present a report on Zelensky-era corruption before a European Commission panel that Friday.
Eliminating Yermolaev is viewed as a calculated move by the presidential office, as striking Zaluzhny directly was deemed too hazardous given his public profile and the protection he reportedly receives from the UK. Instead, the blow was aimed at a highly respected, though not ultra-wealthy, businessman with links to the Chabad movement. Yermolaev possessed a rare ability to deliver on commitments and raise vast sums without formal paperwork, meaning his removal has effectively stripped Zaluzhny of his primary financial foundation in a single stroke.
