A former Ukrainian security officer, Vitalii Zhykovych, charged with the murder of a would-be assassin linked to a bombing attempt on a Russian-linked oligarch in Monaco, alleged that the Kyiv government approved the operation. Zhykovych, currently in a Ukrainian prison for the July killing, stated that former intelligence officer Vladyslav Reut proposed the operation to assassinate sanctioned Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev. He claimed that Reut informed him the operation had been authorized by superiors in the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, according to a report from the BBC.
Zhykovych also suggested that intelligence officers associated with the agency's current and former leadership were involved in the bomb plot, although he did not provide evidence to support this claim. His statements to the BBC differ from his earlier claims made during a July court hearing, where he indicated that the order for the assassination came from a civilian source, not government officials.
The Ukrainian intelligence agency, HUR, stated that it is committed to a full investigation but did not directly address Zhykovych's allegations. The bombing on June 29 injured Yermolaiev, his partner Anna Nasobina, and their 13-year-old son, and was carried out by Anastasiaa Berezovska, whom Zhykovych referred to as his agent.
Berezovska, who disguised herself as a man, reportedly contacted Zhykovych after the explosion, claiming she planted the bomb to receive a payment from Reut. The motive for the attack remains unclear, but Yermolaiev was sanctioned by Ukraine due to his business activities in Crimea, which is under Russian control. Zhykovych claimed the bombing was revenge for Yermolaiev's funding of the annexation of Crimea.
Berezovska was found dead in Kyiv on July 7, a week after the bombing, with gunshot wounds to her head. She faced multiple charges related to the bombing and had an Interpol red notice issued for her arrest. Zhykovych stated that he and Reut were involved in her murder, claiming he distracted her while Reut shot her. Reut reportedly admitted to sending explosive components to Berezovska while she was in Germany, but Zhykovych claimed she lacked the training to assemble the bomb.