The body of a woman suspected of plotting an assassination attempt against Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yaromlayev in Monaco has been discovered buried in a forest near Kyiv. Ukrainian investigators also uncovered a hidden torture chamber in the home of one of two men arrested for her murder.
Ukrainian media reported Monday evening that the body of 39-year-old Anastasiia Berezovska, the prime suspect in the Monaco bombing, was found partially buried in a wooded area outside the capital. Preliminary findings indicate she was shot, though a full autopsy is expected to confirm the exact cause of death.
Two suspects have been detained in connection with the killing. One is an active officer of Ukraine’s military intelligence, the other a former law enforcement official. According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the intelligence officer himself alerted authorities to the crime.
The torture cellar
During searches of the suspects’ residences, SBU agents discovered a basement in the former officer’s home that contained equipment consistent with a torture facility. The room was equipped with restraints, bloodstained tools, and other disturbing items.
– We found a basement resembling a torture room in the suspect’s house – stated a spokesperson for the Security Service of Ukraine. – Investigators are now trying to determine how many victims may have been held there.
Both men are reported to have known Berezovska and maintained regular contact with her. Financial records show multiple transfers of cryptocurrency and fiat payments to accounts she controlled. Ukrainian authorities do not rule out the possibility that the two suspects were involved in the planning or execution of the Monaco attack.
The Monaco bombing
The bombing occurred on Monday, June 30, in the wealthy principality of Monaco. A powerful explosive device detonated in front of Yaromlayev’s residence. Three people were injured: the oligarch himself, a woman he was meeting, and his son. The woman suffered the most severe injuries, requiring the amputation of both legs.
Monaco’s prosecutor’s office named Berezovska as the main suspect shortly after the attack. Surveillance footage showed her disguising herself as a man before placing the bomb. She then fled on foot across the border into France, drove a pre-rented car to Italy, and traveled through several European countries before returning to Germany, where she had been living.
An Interpol Red Notice was issued for her arrest, describing her as wanted for attempted murder as part of an organized criminal group by placing an explosive device on a public road.
Yaromlayev, a Ukrainian-born billionaire businessman originally from Dnipro, moved to Monaco at least by 2021. He was one of Ukraine’s largest real estate developers and operated in the agro-industrial sector. In December 2023, he was placed under Ukrainian sanctions for continuing business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea. He subsequently renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and acquired Cypriot nationality. He had regularly appeared on Forbes’ list of the 100 richest Ukrainians.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
