A Ukrainian agent accused of murdering a Monaco bomb suspect has changed his story, now claiming his co-accused threatened him and his family before ordering the killing. The agent, identified as Berezovska, was allegedly murdered and her body dumped in woods.
In his revised account, the accused, identified as Reut, stated that he drove his BMW to pick up Berezovska on the highway to Kyiv because she "needed to be hidden" in connection with "a criminal matter," though the nature of this matter remains unclear. Reut claims that en route, his co-accused, Zhykovych, produced a modified Makarov pistol from his rucksack and loaded it. When Reut protested, Zhykovych allegedly said it was a precaution "in case she panics."
After collecting Berezovska, Reut says he was directed to drive towards the village of Yuriv, where all three exited the vehicle on a forest path. There, Reut claims Zhykovych ordered him to shoot, stating, "It's either her or us."
Reut alleges that Zhykovych then killed Berezovska himself with four shots. Following the alleged murder, the pair reportedly dug a grave and buried her body, then discarded the gun and Berezovska's belongings in a nearby lake.
Reut's change in testimony raises questions about his initial confession. He now asserts that Zhykovych threatened him, saying, "If anything happens to me, your relatives are in danger."
Zhykovych's lawyer, Anatoliy Ivanov, has rejected this new account. Ivanov described his client as a low-level former SBU officer and dismissed the notion that a civilian could order a serving GUR member to commit murder. He characterized Zhykovych as a "patriot" who fought in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and defended the Kyiv region after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
"He does not want to be imprisoned. I understand," Ivanov commented on Reut's statement, while insisting that his client "did not kill."
Prosecutors maintain that both Reut and Zhykovych acted "jointly and in a coordinated fashion" and have charged both with premeditated murder.