MOSCOW, July 7. /TASS/. The attempted murder of Ukrainian businessman Vadim Yermolayev in Monaco amounted to $150,000 for its masterminds, the Strana news outlet reported.
According to the publication, "$8,000 was received by Anastasia Berezovskaya, while another $5,000 was allocated for transportation costs." The money was transferred to Berezovskaya's cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts.
Strana said the information came from law enforcement sources, citing "testimony from suspects detained in connection with the murder of the crime's perpetrator, Anastasia Berezovskaya." The identity of the person who commissioned the attack has not been disclosed.
The publication said the detained officer of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) served in the agency's 9th Department, which specializes in drone strikes. Meanwhile, Verkhovna Rada member Alexey Goncharenko (listed in Russia as a terrorist and extremist) said the officer's surname was Reut. According to the lawmaker, he confessed to "the murder of Berezovskaya, which he committed together with another suspect."
Earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported finding Berezovskaya's body near Kiev. She had been suspected of attempting to murder Yermolayev in Monaco. The agency also announced the detention of two suspects in her murder, including an active GUR officer. The second suspect is a former Ukrainian law enforcement officer.
Monaco explosion
An explosion occurred in the entrance hall of a residential building in Monaco on June 29. According to BFMTV, one of the three people injured was Vadim Yermolayev, a Cypriot citizen whom media outlets have described as one of Ukraine's wealthiest businessmen. Media reports have alleged that he owned a network of scam call centers in Ukraine. Yermolayev renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019. In 2023, the Kiev authorities imposed sanctions on him.
Monaco's prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the incident on suspicion of attempted murder. Le Figaro, citing sources, reported that investigators believe the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) may have been behind the attack. According to Comments.ua, the SBU may have targeted Yermolayev in an attempt to seize control of call centers linked to him in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, as well as broader shadow business operations in the city, and to prevent his possible future involvement in politics.