Ukrainian businessman Vadim Yermolayev has said that the attempt on his life in Monaco was organized by the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. His letter was circulated by the law firm Dynasty Law & Investment, which represents his interests.
According to the French newspaper Nice-Matin, Yermolayev said in the statement that the investigation, at its current stage, had already established the involvement of active HUR officers in the attack. In his view, the operation went beyond the perpetrators and immediate coordinators: he believes other intelligence officers were involved as well, including some close to the service’s current or former leadership. No further details were disclosed.
Yermolayev called on the authorities of Monaco, France, and Ukraine, as well as competent international organizations, to protect his family, witnesses, lawyers, and others connected with the case until all those responsible, including whoever ordered the crime, are identified and brought to justice.
The businessman also said that if security services use their capabilities to organize a killing on European soil, this threatens international security and undermines trust in state institutions. Nice-Matin reports that in the letter he also thanked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his personal attention to the case and for the assistance already provided.
The attack took place on June 29, when a bag containing a bomb was left at the doorstep of Yermolayev’s home in Monaco. The explosion occurred as he was entering the house with his partner and his 13-year-old son. All three were injured, and the woman later had both legs amputated.
Several days later, suspicion fell on Anastasia Berezovska, who had managed to leave for Ukraine. On July 7, Ukrainian law enforcement authorities reported that she had been killed. An active HUR officer, Vladyslav Reut, confessed to the killing, saying he acted together with former SBU officer Vitaliy Zhykovych. Reut said he had acted on his own initiative and without the leadership’s knowledge. Investigators, however, believe that Reut and Zhykovych also organized the attack on Yermolayev.