Assassin Killed After Attempted Hit on Jewish Oligarch in Monaco Sparks International Manhunt

Last Monday, a powerful explosion rocked the luxury residence of Jewish oligarch Vadim Yermolayev in Monaco. The 58-year-old businessman, known for his multi-million dollar ventures and sanctions imposed by Kyiv due to his economic activities in occupied Crimea, was injured alongside Anna Nesovina, 46, who lost a leg in the blast witnessed by her 13-year-old son.

Security footage captured the suspected assassin, Anastasia Berzovska, 39, placing a bomb-laden backpack and remotely detonating it. Following the attack, Berzovska embarked on a daring cross-border escape, traveling from Germany to Italy, then Switzerland, and back to Germany. Interpol issued a red notice for her arrest on charges of attempted murder and criminal conspiracy.

The international manhunt ended abruptly and violently near Kyiv, Ukraine, where Berzovska’s body was found shot late Monday night. Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) investigations revealed that an active officer from Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR) and a former law enforcement officer were arrested on suspicion of her murder. The officer confessed, claiming he acted independently without his superiors’ knowledge.

Yermolayev, formerly a Ukrainian citizen and now a Cypriot national, has been under Ukrainian government sanctions since December 2023. Monaco’s Prince Albert II condemned the bombing as a "despicable act," while the incident’s trail points to the covert conflict ongoing in Ukraine, highlighting the complex geopolitical tensions behind the assassination attempt.