Monaco police have identified the suspect in a bomb attack that injured a sanctioned Ukrainian oligarch as Anastasiia Berezovska, a Ukrainian national accused of disguising herself as a man to carry out the alleged crime. Berezovska, 39, is accused of targeting Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev by detonating a makeshift bomb at the entrance of his building on Monday night.
Interpol has issued a red notice for Berezovska's arrest on charges including attempted murder. According to a police memo, the suspect is likely to alter her appearance to resemble a man. She is known for links to organized crime and has a snake-like tattoo on her arm stretching from shoulder to elbow, Interpol stated. Authorities believe she resides in Frankfurt, Germany.
The explosion injured Yermolaiev and Anna Nasobina, 46, who was with him. Nasobina lost her legs in the attack and was reportedly in critical condition at a Nice hospital. Her 13-year-old son was also present but unharmed.
Yermolaiev is a multimillionaire who was sanctioned by Kyiv in December 2023. Reports suggest the sanctions stem from his alcohol business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea. He was previously among Ukraine's wealthiest individuals with interests in commercial real estate, manufacturing, and agriculture. Yermolaiev stated in 2017 that he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and became a citizen of Cyprus. His eldest son, Artur, was arrested in Cyprus last year on allegations of organizing fraudulent call centers targeting Europeans.
Monaco, a principality known as a haven for the wealthy, experienced its first such attack with this incident. Prince Albert II condemned the attack as an "odious act."