Interpol Red Notice Targets Ukrainian Woman in Monaco Bombing of Sanctioned Tycoon
The June 30 explosion in a Monaco apartment building has prompted Interpol to issue a red notice for a Ukrainian national as part of the ongoing Monaco terror attack investigation, with authorities linking the incident to an attempt on the life of a sanctioned construction magnate.
The Monaco Bombing
An individual left a package in the entrance hall of a small apartment building in Monaco just before 21:00 on Monday. [2] An explosive device then detonated in the hall as three residents, a couple and a 13-year-old child, were entering the building. [2] The suspect was captured on CCTV wearing a dark bucket hat or black fisherman’s hat and was initially believed to be a heavy-set man. [1] Monaco's Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond described the sequence in an initial press conference, stating that the person "stood up a few meters ahead of the victims, placed an explosive device taken from his shopping bag on the entrance steps of the building, then turned to confirm the presence of the three victims before triggering the explosion using a remote control." [1] Prosecutors later reviewed footage from the days leading up to the explosion and noted that a figure in a fishing hat had conducted repeated reconnaissance visits to the building and surrounding area. [1] On June 28 the same figure was absent from security footage, and instead a woman matching the later-identified suspect followed similar patterns. [1] The three victims suffered serious injuries and were hospitalized in Nice. [2]
Identification of Anastasiia Berezovska
Surveillance footage review combined with testimony from a person who came into contact with the suspect shifted investigators' focus to a woman who had allegedly conducted several reconnaissance visits in the days before the explosion. [3] The 39-year-old Ukrainian national Anastasiia Berezovska is described in the Interpol red notice as having dark shoulder-length hair, speaking German, and possibly bearing a snake tattoo on her right arm. [1] She is wanted on charges of attempted murder, depositing an explosive device on a public highway with criminal intent, and criminal association. [1] Monaco authorities initially referred to the suspect in masculine terms before confirming the individual was "a woman posing as a man." [3] The repeated reconnaissance operations and pauses in front of the building "clearly demonstrate the intention to specifically target the three victims," according to Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond. [1]
Interpol red notice issued for Ukrainian woman suspected in Monaco apartment bombing. — Source: myjoyonline
The Victims and Their Background
The victims have not been officially named by Monaco authorities, but multiple reports identify them as Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner, and their 13-year-old son. [1] The adults were taken to Nice University Hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the child was admitted in non-critical condition to the Lenval children's hospital in Nice. [3] By Wednesday the man was no longer in a life-or-death situation, but the woman's condition remained unstable. [2] Yermolaiev, a 58-year-old Ukrainian-born construction magnate, has lived in Monaco since at least 2021 and renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 before becoming a Cyprus citizen in 2019. [1] He was named the 39th richest Ukrainian by Forbes in 2020 with a fortune of $230 million and was ranked 45th richest in a 2021 Ukrainian Forbes estimate at $220 million. [2] Since December 2023 he has been subject to Ukrainian sanctions over alleged business dealings and tax payments in Russian-annexed Crimea, including activities in the alcohol sector. [3]
Investigation and Pursuit Across Borders
The suspect fled the scene on foot across the Monaco-France border, traveled through Italy, and entered Germany. [1] German police raided her rented apartment in the Frankfurt-area Main-Taunus district on Thursday, seizing evidence and a vehicle she had used. [2] Hessian Police stated that evidence secured during the raid would be handed over to Monegasque authorities and confirmed that the woman being sought remains at large with an international arrest warrant issued. [2] Monaco's Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond noted that the relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi "appear to indicate that the person who placed the device was not acting alone." [1] Investigators tracked the escape route using rental car records and border movements, with authorities in Monaco and France cooperating to identify the suspect in a particularly short time. [3]
Reactions in Monaco
Prince Albert II of Monaco has described the incident as a "heinous crime." [2] The bombing sent shockwaves through the ultra-secure principality, which is viewed as a playground for the world's ultra-wealthy. [3] A judicial investigation for attempted murder and several other charges has been opened and entrusted to three investigating judges. [5] Monaco's public prosecutor Stéphane Thibault praised the effective international criminal cooperation, both police and judicial, that enabled rapid identification of the suspected attacker. [5]
International Police Cooperation
Interpol issued the red notice on Friday for Anastasiia Berezovska, enabling law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest the suspect. [1] German authorities confirmed they are supporting the Monegasque investigation and remain in close contact with counterparts in Monaco. [2] The coordinated efforts across France, Italy, and Germany allowed investigators to trace the suspect's movements after she crossed the Monaco-France border and continued onward. [3] Police from Monaco and France were specifically thanked by prosecutors for their role in piecing together the timeline and physical description. [2]
Interpol red notice issued for Ukrainian woman suspected in Monaco apartment bombing. — Source: bangkokpost
Details on the Explosive Device and Possible Accomplices
The device was placed in the entrance steps of the residential building and detonated remotely, with prosecutors highlighting its relative sophistication as evidence that the person who placed it did not act alone. [1] Early CCTV analysis initially pointed to a male suspect in a fishing hat, but further review revealed the consistent reconnaissance pattern carried out by the woman now identified as Berezovska. [1] Authorities continue to investigate possible accomplices while the search for the main suspect remains active across borders. [2]
What to watch next: German authorities have secured evidence from the raided Frankfurt-area apartment that will be handed over to Monegasque officials, and an international arrest warrant remains in effect as the search for Anastasiia Berezovska continues.
