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FRANCE PERSPECTIVE
MONACO BOMBING SUSPECT FOUND KILLED IN UKRAINE
DOMINANT ANGLE
Paris is closely watching the Berezovska case as a possible Ukrainian settling of scores between suspected sponsors within Kiev's military intelligence and lingering gray areas over the true motivations behind the Monaco attack.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Paris, July 9, 2026. The case of the booby-trapped package in Monaco is taking on the characteristics of an espionage thriller. According to reports, Anastassia Berezovska, the primary suspect in the June 29 explosive attack targeting Ukrainian businessman Vadim Ermolaev, was found dead near Kiev with "gunshot wounds to the head," the Ukrainian police announced on Tuesday. Her body had "pistol casings" nearby, according to the statement.
Following an international manhunt launched by the Monégasque justice system, Ukrainian authorities indicate that the 39-year-old suspect had returned to Ukraine on July 1, just two days after the attack that seriously injured Vadim Ermolaev, his partner, and their 13-year-old son at the entrance of a luxury building in Monaco. She had been in contact, including through money transfers, with two men who are now suspects and have been arrested: a "former law enforcement officer" and a "current employee" of the General Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
The latter admitted to committing the murder during the investigation, claiming to have acted without informing his superiors. Ukrainian investigators also discovered a "torture chamber" in the basement of the ex-policeman's home: a video released by the prosecutor's office shows a basement equipped with tools, a plastic tarp, and red stains on the floor.
As French media outlets describe a "suspect disguised as a man in a black bob and being tracked across Europe," they question the identity of the true masterminds: a government-ordered assassination, a settling of scores within the military intelligence, or the elimination of a witness who had become a liability? The investigation raises several hypotheses without drawing conclusions, while the Monégasque judicial investigation remains open at this stage.
For the French press, this brutal outcome closes one lead but opens others: it exposes the connection between the war in Ukraine, Kiev's intelligence services, and the financial principality, without dispelling doubts about the real motivations behind the June 29 attack.
KEY POINTS
- French authorities are monitoring a situation in Ukraine where Anastassia Berezovska, 39, was found dead from "gunshot wounds to the head" near Kiev, according to the Ukrainian police cited by French media.
- The Ukrainian investigation has led to the arrest of two suspects: a former law enforcement member and a current employee of the Ukrainian General Intelligence Directorate (GUR), who were linked to Berezovska through financial transactions.
- A "torture chamber" was discovered in the basement of one of the arrested suspects' homes, according to a video released by the Ukrainian general prosecutor's office.
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
French judicial framing: the articles focus the narrative on the investigation led from Monaco, less on the broader Ukrainian geopolitical context.
Preference for Ukrainian police sources: the reported facts rely mainly on statements from the Kiev police, with little cross-verification from other sources.
Limited coverage of alleged masterminds: hypotheses about who ordered the attack are mentioned but not settled by the French media consulted.
SOURCES (2)
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