Ex‑Ukrainian Intelligence Officer Claims Monaco Bombing Was State‑Approved

Fri Oct 09 2026 17:42:58 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Former security‑service worker Vitalii Zhykovych tells the BBC that a June bomb attack on a millionaire in Monaco was authorised by senior HUR officials.

In a rare interview from prison, Vitalii Zhykovych – a former SBU operative linked to a June Monaco bomb plot – alleges the attack on Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolayev was sanctioned by top HUR officers. He says the bomber, Anastasia Berezovska, was his agent and that she was killed by her handlers after the blast. Zhykovych contrasts this with accusations that he was scapegoated for the attack and its subsequent murder investigation back in Kyiv. Ukrainian prosecutors and HUR officials deny the claims, while Yermolayev maintains no ties to Russian‑occupied Crimea and calls the allegations “nonsense.” The case remains at the intersection of Ukrainian intelligence, alleged criminal networks and international suspicion over state‑backed violence.

Suspect linked to Monaco bomb attack on millionaire speaks to BBC

A former Ukrainian security‐services officer, Vitalii Zhykovych, says he believed a June bomb attack aimed at Ukrainian billionaire Vadym Yermolayev in Monaco was authorised by senior members of the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR). The claim was made in an exclusive BBC interview while Zhykovych sat in a prison holding cell in Kyiv, with his lawyer nearby.

Vitalii Zhykovych in prison — Vitalii Zhykovych appeared in open court during the summer and has spoken to the BBC from prison

Zhykovych – who described himself in the earlier book as a “freelancer” for Ukraine’s SBU – claims that HUR officer Vladyslav Reut, who is also under arrest for re‑organising the murder of the bomber in Ukraine, had proposed the Monaco mission. In the interview, Zhykovych said the operation was “authorised by Reut’s superiors who served in HUR.”

The attack left Yermolayev, his 13‑year‑old son and his partner seriously injured, with the businessman describing the survival as “a miracle.” Yermolayev – a former Ukrainian citizen who now holds Cypriot citizenship – has denied any connection to Russian‑occupied Crimea and called the new allegations “nonsense.”

Zhykovych claims that the bomber, Anastasia Berezovska, was an agent who had been recalled to Ukraine for a covert operation. He says she was going to carry out the hit, but when she confessed to the assault in Monaco, Reut decided to kill her in a secluded woods area, after attempting to use her for a recon mission instead. After the murder, each blamed the other for her death.

The BBC asked HUR to comment. The agency insisted it was “committed to a full investigation” and providing “comprehensive support” to law‑enforcement bodies. In a statement, the SBU reduced Zhykovych’s role to a “former law‑enforcement officer.”

While investigative authorities continue to examine the Moscow‑linked bombing and Berezovska’s killing, Zhykovych’s testimony adds a new dimension to an already complex case that includes international intelligence, alleged crime syndicates and questions of state‑sanctioned violence.