Ukraine has increased its military operations by launching drone strikes inside Russia. These attacks targeted a refinery in Crimea and an oil tank near Moscow. These actions convey a message to Moscow as peace talks between the two countries remain stalled.
The International Criminal Police Organization, known as Interpol, issued a red notice for Anastasiia Berezovska, a Ukrainian national accused of bombing an apartment building in Monaco. This incident reportedly targeted a Russian-connected Ukrainian oligarch.
On June 30, the explosion in the apartment building allegedly injured Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian construction magnate. Although Monaco’s public prosecutor Stéphane Thibault did not disclose victims’ names, reports assert that Yermolaiev’s family members, a woman, and a 13-year-old child, were also injured.
Berezovska faces charges of attempted murder and placing an explosive device with criminal intent. Interpol described her as a German-speaking woman with dark hair and possibly a snake tattoo on her arm. Initial reports mistakenly identified the suspect as a male.
Monaco Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond recounted the suspect’s actions, noting the explosive device planted at the building’s entrance. Raymond initially referred to the suspect using male pronouns before the suspect’s identity was clarified.
“He 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,” Raymond stated.
Prosecutors examined footage from days prior to the incident. A man in a fishing hat was observed surveilling the building. This individual was absent on June 28, replaced by a woman following the same surveillance pattern, believed to be Berezovska.
The suspect’s escape route led authorities across borders from Monaco to Germany through Italy. Her apartment in Frankfurt was searched as part of the investigation. The sophistication of the bomb used suggests she likely had accomplices.
“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,” Raymond remarked.
The explosion’s motive remains unclear, but Yermolaiev’s situation is noteworthy. He renounced Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 and is now a Cypriot citizen. In 2023, Ukraine sanctioned him for alleged ongoing engagements with Russia, taxing issues, and business activities in Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014.