A major cross-border investigation has taken another dramatic turn after Ukrainian authorities revealed disturbing discoveries linked to the killing of the woman accused of carrying out last month’s parcel bomb attack in Monaco.
Prosecutors say the suspected bomber was murdered shortly after returning to Ukraine, while investigators uncovered what they describe as a blood-stained basement resembling a torture chamber inside the home of one of the murder suspects.
The latest developments have deepened an already complex investigation stretching across several European countries.
Suspected Monaco Bomber Found Dead Near Kyiv
Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman who had been the subject of an international manhunt, was discovered dead with gunshot wounds near Kyiv.
Interpol had issued a Red Notice after Monaco authorities accused her of planting a parcel bomb that exploded outside a luxury apartment building, seriously injuring Ukrainian businessman Vadym Ermolaev, his partner Anna Nasobina, and the couple’s teenage son.
Investigators believe Berezovska fled Monaco immediately after the explosion, travelling through France before making her way to Italy, Germany and eventually back to Ukraine.
She had been wanted on allegations including attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
Two Ukrainian Men Arrested Over Killing
Ukrainian prosecutors announced that two men have now been detained in connection with Berezovska’s death.
According to investigators, one suspect is an active officer serving in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, while the second is a former law enforcement officer.
Authorities said the investigation initially focused on the pair after financial records allegedly showed repeated transfers of money into Berezovska’s bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets.
Those transactions led investigators to examine whether either man may have played a role in the Monaco bombing itself.
Intelligence Officer Allegedly Confessed
Prosecutors claim the serving intelligence officer admitted participating in Berezovska’s killing together with the former police officer.
Officials also allege the officer acknowledged failing to report his contacts with Berezovska or the financial transfers to his superiors, insisting he had acted independently rather than under official orders.
Based on information reportedly provided during questioning, investigators carried out further searches that led them to Berezovska’s body.
Police say shell casings recovered at the scene are consistent with the fatal shooting.
Investigators Discover Disturbing Basement
One of the investigation’s most shocking findings came during a search of the former law enforcement officer’s home.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said officers uncovered an underground room that appeared to have been converted into a torture chamber.
Images released by investigators show a dimly lit basement containing axes, hammers, bottles filled with unidentified liquids and large bloodstains across the floor.
Authorities have not publicly explained whether the room is directly connected to Berezovska’s killing or whether other potential crimes are being investigated.
Monaco Bombing Left Three Victims Injured
The bombing took place at the entrance of an exclusive residential building in Monaco.
According to investigators, Berezovska disguised herself as a man before allegedly placing a backpack containing an explosive device inside the building.
Authorities believe she detonated the bomb remotely using a mobile phone while standing some distance away before escaping across the nearby French border.
The explosion left Ermolaev seriously injured, while his partner Anna Nasobina suffered catastrophic wounds that resulted in both legs being amputated. She remains in critical condition.
Their 13-year-old son sustained comparatively minor injuries and has since been assisting investigators by describing what he remembers from the attack.
CCTV and International Hunt Traced Escape Route
Security cameras reportedly captured a suspect wearing a black bucket hat leaving the scene moments after the explosion.
Investigators believe the suspect crossed into the French town of Beausoleil before travelling onward through Italy and Germany.
German authorities later searched an apartment rented by Berezovska as well as a vehicle allegedly connected to her, collecting evidence requested by investigators in Monaco.
Before her death, police had described her as armed, dangerous and potentially travelling with accomplices.
Businessman at Centre of Multiple Investigations
Vadym Ermolaev is a wealthy property developer whose fortune has been estimated at around $230 million.
The businessman, who was once listed among Ukraine’s richest individuals, has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2023 because of business interests linked to Russian-occupied Crimea.
The bombing has also renewed attention on separate allegations involving an international network of fraudulent call centres that allegedly targeted investors across Europe through fake cryptocurrency schemes and other financial scams.
French investigators are reportedly exploring whether the Monaco attack could have been an act of retaliation connected to organised criminal activity.
Son Previously Faced Fraud Charges
Attention has also focused on Ermolaev’s son, Artur, who was arrested in Cyprus following an Estonian warrant before being extradited.
Estonian prosecutors accused him of helping establish fraudulent call centres in Ukraine that allegedly promoted fake investment opportunities to victims in several European countries.
He later received a suspended prison sentence, paid €8.5 million and was barred from returning to Estonia.
Both Vadym Ermolaev and his son have consistently denied any involvement in criminal wrongdoing, maintaining that their business activities have always been legitimate.
Investigation Continues Across Europe
Authorities in Monaco, Ukraine, Germany and other European countries continue coordinating the investigation into both the bombing and Berezovska’s subsequent killing.
While prosecutors have announced arrests in Ukraine, investigators are still working to establish whether additional individuals were involved in either the Monaco explosion or the murder of the woman accused of carrying it out.
The case remains one of the most complex cross-border criminal investigations currently underway in Europe, with several lines of inquiry still active.
