Ukrainian agent denies murder after initial confession
In a custody hearing in Kyiv, Vladyslav Reut, a 34‑year‑old officer of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, publicly stated that he had not fired the shot that killed Anastasiia Berezovska, a woman linked to a suspected parcel‑bomb attack in Monaco.
Reut had previously confessed to investigators, leading them to the women’s burial site in a forest west of Kyiv. He claimed the grave was filled with branches and that he had guided officials to it.
Co‑defendant Vitalii Zhykovych, 50, formerly of the State Security Service, is also in custody. Both men were escorted into the courtroom with hands cuffed and wearing heavy security armor. Their faces were masked, leaving only their eyes visible as they sat in a glass cage before a TV camera line.
Security was tight inside the courtroom in Kyiv on Thursday.
The case is attracting attention largely because both suspects come from former Ukrainian intelligence and security services: Reut from the General Staff’s intelligence service (GUR) and Zhykovych from the State Security Service (SBU). Zealous prosecutors have argued that the pair acted in concert and have charged them with pre‑meditated murder.
The motive behind the Monaco blast remains unclear. The target, Vadym Yermolayev, is a businessman who once held Ukrainian citizenship and is now sanctioned for operating in Crimea. He was allegedly poised to be assassinated by Berezovska, whose identity surfaced after the blast on 29 June.
Following his confession, Reut’s narrative changed. He said he was forced to kill Berezovska by Zhykovych, who threatened to endanger the agent’s relatives if he did not comply. Reut’s account claims that Zhykovych loaded a modified Makarov pistol, shot the woman, and then disposed of the weapon and Berezovska’s belongings in a nearby lake.
Zhykovych’s lawyer dismissed the new testimony, calling his client a “patriot” who has served in eastern Ukraine and defended Kyiv since Russia’s full‑scale invasion in 2022. The lawyer also suggested a possible “Russian trail,” citing previous incidents of Russian recruitment of Ukrainian intelligence agents, but offered no evidence.
Both suspects were denied bail and remanded in custody as prosecutors continue to investigate, with the case leaving Kyiv authorities pondering many unanswered questions. President Volodymyr Zelensky promised additional relevant reports in the coming days.
The investigations are ongoing; the full story will unfold as authorities sift through surveillance data, financial transactions, and witness statements.
