Security was tight inside the courtroom in Kyiv on Thursday as a complex and murky legal case took an unexpected turn. A Ukrainian intelligence agent, who had previously confessed to killing the woman suspected of involvement in the bombing targeting a millionaire and his family in Monaco, has now claimed he did not pull the trigger.
A Sudden Shift in Testimony
During a custody hearing, Vladyslav Reut, who just days earlier had guided investigators to the woodland grave of Anastasiia Anastasiia Berezovska, categorically denied committing the murder. He shifted the blame entirely onto his alleged accomplice. The case has gained significant attention because Reut is an active and decorated officer within Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the GUR, while his co-defendant, Vitalii Zhykovych, was a former employee of the SBU security service.
Official Reactions and Background
On Thursday evening, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he would have additional relevant reports to share in the coming days. The underlying motive for the explosion in Monaco that targeted businessman Vadim Yermolayev remains unclear. Yermolayev, who earned his fortune in the cognac and real estate sectors, had renounced his Ukrainian citizenship years ago. He had subsequently been sanctioned by Kyiv for continuing to conduct business in Crimea following the Russian takeover. Now, the woman accused of attempting to assassinate him has herself been murdered.
The Investigation Process
The two suspects appeared in court for separate hearings, handcuffed and guarded by heavily armed, masked security personnel. Throughout the proceedings, both men kept their hoods raised and their faces concealed by large masks, remaining hunched inside the glass courtroom cage. Prosecutors clarified that Anastasiia Berezovska had arrived in Ukraine two days after the explosion in Monaco, before she had even been identified as the prime suspect. Investigators quickly focused on Zhykovych, 50, and Reut, 34, by analyzing Berezovska's phone records, which led them to cash and cryptocurrency transfers made to her accounts. Initially, Reut appeared to confess to the shooting and led authorities to the site in the woods west of Kyiv where he had buried the body under branches.
The Revised Account
In court, Reut claimed he now wanted to tell the truth. He alleged that the two men had driven his BMW to pick up Berezovska on the highway to Kyiv, claiming she needed to be hidden in connection with a criminal matter. Reut asserted that during the journey, Zhykovych produced a modified Makarov pistol from his rucksack. When Reut protested, he claims Zhykovych insisted it was merely a precaution in case she panicked. Upon reaching a forest path near the village of Yuriv, Reut says Zhykovych ordered him to shoot, telling him it was either her or them. In this version of events, Zhykovych killed Berezovska with four shots, after which they buried her. Reut further claims that Zhykovych disposed of the weapon and her belongings in a nearby lake. Reut now argues his earlier confession was made under duress, claiming Zhykovych threatened his relatives.
Defense and Further Theories
Zhykovych's lawyer, Anatoliy Ivanov, vehemently rejected the new account. Describing his client as a patriot who fought in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and later defended the Kyiv region following the 2022 invasion, Ivanov dismissed the idea that a civilian could command a serving GUR member. He insisted that Zhykovych did not commit the killing. The prosecutor maintains that the men acted in a coordinated fashion and both have been charged with premeditated murder. While the lawyer for Zhykovych suggested the possibility of a Russian trail, there is no current evidence to support this, and authorities are considering various theories, including corruption and organized crime. Prosecutor Dmytro Tkachuk confirmed that investigators are checking information regarding a possible motive but noted that disclosing it would currently hinder the investigation. Both men remain in custody after being denied bail.
