Monaco authorities have submitted a search request for Ukrainian citizen 39-year-old Anastasia Berezovskaya, according to a publication by Interpol (Interpol (Interpol). Law enforcement agencies are looking for her in connection with an explosion in the principality, due to which Ukrainian businessman Vadim Ermolaev, his companion Anna Nasobina and their 13-year-old son Artur Ermolaev were allegedly injured – their names are cited by Ukrainian media.
According to Interpol, the woman is accused of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent and criminal conspiracy. Among her special features, the law enforcement agency highlights her knowledge of the German language, black hair and a tattoo, presumably in the form of a snake, on her right arm from shoulder to elbow.
The agency issued a “Red Notice,” a request to law enforcement agencies around the world to locate and temporarily arrest an individual pending extradition, extradition, or similar action.
Initially, immediately after the incident, witnesses described the suspect as a man of average height and strong build, wearing a dark long-sleeved sweater, light shorts and a black Panama hat. However, an analysis of the camera footage showed the opposite, Monaco Prosecutor General Stephane Thibault said at a press conference.
“New video recordings, as well as testimony from a person who was in contact with the suspect on the evening of the day of the explosion, gave reason to believe that, in fact, we are talking about a woman who deliberately disguised herself as a man,” Thibault said.
Further review of city camera footage from the previous days revealed that the woman had “repeatedly conducted reconnaissance of the area.” Law enforcement officers also found a car with German license plates, which Berezovskaya used in Monaco.
“We were able to trace the suspect’s escape route: first she crossed the border from France to Italy, and then the further path to her country of residence was tracked,” added Thibault.
An international arrest warrant has already been issued against the suspect, the Prosecutor General of the Principality emphasized. According to the British publication The Guardian, the woman lived in Germany and was last seen after the incident in Frankfurt.
The suspect noticed a family in the area near Place des Mulins and decided to follow them on June 29, then got ahead of Ermolaev and his companions and left a bag with explosives at the entrance to the house, RBC-Ukraine reports. After making sure that the family was actually entering the house, the suspect activated the device using a device “similar to a remote control,” the publication adds.
The Monaco prosecutor's office separately noted that the “complex design of the explosive device” and the manner in which the attack was organized “give reason to believe the presence of outside support.” The French publication Le Figaro, citing sources close to the investigation, writes about the possible involvement of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the explosion. According to the newspaper, what happened could have been a kind of way to “scare” the entrepreneur.
Sanctions were imposed against Vadim Ermolaev in 2023 by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) due to business activities in Crimea. Since 2021 he has resided in Monaco. In 2019, the businessman renounced Ukrainian citizenship and received a Cypriot passport.
According to BFMTV, the life of the “Ukrainian oligarch” is not in danger, and the condition of his companion has not stabilized – she had to have both legs amputated. According to Ukrinform, diplomats from Kyiv are still waiting for the opportunity to meet with the victims.
