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UKRAINE PERSPECTIVE
MONACO BOMBING SUSPECT FOUND KILLED IN UKRAINE
DOMINANT ANGLE
Kyiv takes responsibility for the actions of one of its military intelligence officers in the death of the Monegasque suspect, while also revealing internal doubts about the speed of the investigation.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Kyiv, July 9, 2026. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has confirmed the death of Anastasiia Berezovska, the primary suspect in the attempted assassination by parcel bomb targeting the family of Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev in Monaco in late June, an attack that injured three people, including a child. Wanted by Interpol, she had returned to Ukraine on July 1 through a regular border crossing without triggering any alerts: the State Border Guard Service acknowledged that Interpol's databases did not flag her presence at the time of crossing.
Her body, bearing gunshot wounds to the head, was found buried in the Makariv district, Kyiv region, after a confession was obtained during a reconstruction with one of the suspects. According to the prosecutor's office, a serving officer of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR/HUR) admitted to killing her with a former law enforcement officer. The man claimed to have acted on his own initiative, without informing his superiors about his contacts with Berezovska or the cryptocurrency and bank transfers made to her accounts on several occasions. A search of the ex-policeman's home revealed a basement room resembling a torture chamber, according to investigators.
The Prosecutor General's Office notes that the investigation is being conducted with the assistance of the National Police and the SBU's counterintelligence unit. The GUR, in turn, assures that it is providing "full support" to the judicial authorities, under the personal supervision of its head, Oleg Ivachtchenko. Investigative journalists from the "Skhemy" project (Radio Svoboda) have since identified one of the two detained men as 33-year-old Vladyslav Reut, a native of Zhytomyr, a law graduate, and likely an instructor at a Ukrainian special forces training center since 2022.
This unusual speed has raised questions even within Ukraine's security ranks: SBU General Vassyl Vovk publicly described the investigation's progress as a "scripted scenario," expressing surprise that the presumed perpetrator, her return to Ukraine, and the organizers of her murder could be identified in just two days. He emphasizes that no mastermind behind the Monaco attack has been named so far.
KEY POINTS
- Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, was the site of a disturbing discovery, as Anastasiia Berezovska, who legally entered Ukraine on July 1 without triggering an Interpol alert, was found shot multiple times in the head and buried in the Makariv district.
- A serving officer from the Defense Ministry's Intelligence Directorate (GUR/HUR) admitted to killing her, along with a former policeman, claiming to have acted alone without informing their superiors.
- The SBU's General Vassyl Vovk publicly questioned the speed of the investigation, calling it a "TV series scenario" and noting that no mastermind has been identified.
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Ukraine's security-focused narrative: the articles rely almost exclusively on statements from the Office of the Prosecutor General, the SBU, and the GUR.
Preference for official Ukrainian sources: little attention is given to the version of the Monegasque or French authorities involved in the initial investigation.
Limited coverage of the alleged mastermind: the articles detail the modus operandi of the murder but remain vague on who orchestrated the attack in Monaco.
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