A former Ukrainian security services officer accused of murdering a woman suspected of carrying out a bomb attack in Monaco has alleged that a serving military intelligence officer proposed the operation targeting businessman Vadym Yermolayev.

Vitalii Zhykovych made the claims in an exclusive interview with the BBC from prison in Kyiv, giving his account of the June 2026 explosion that seriously injured Yermolayev, his 13-year-old son and his partner.

Zhykovych claimed he initially understood the operation to have been authorised by senior officials of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, known as HUR. However, he later suggested that the attack had been ordered by someone outside the intelligence agency.

The allegations have not been independently established, and investigations into the bombing and the subsequent killing of the suspected bomber are ongoing.

Intelligence Officer Allegedly Proposed Attack

Zhykovych, who describes himself as a freelance operative for Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), identified active-duty HUR officer Vladyslav Reut as the person who allegedly proposed the operation.

He said Reut, whom he called “The Boss”, had informed him that senior intelligence officials had approved the mission against Yermolayev.

According to Zhykovych, Reut initially wanted Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman suspected of planting the bomb, to carry out the attack. Zhykovych claimed he objected because she had not received sufficient training, prompting Reut to agree that she would conduct reconnaissance instead.

He alleged that Reut subsequently contacted Berezovska directly, without involving him, and provided her with the explosives.

HUR has previously said it is committed to a full investigation and will provide comprehensive support to law enforcement authorities. The SBU has described Zhykovych as a former law enforcement officer.

Monaco Blast Injures Businessman and Family

The explosion occurred on June 30, 2026, as Yermolayev and his family returned from an evening meal along Monaco’s seafront.

Surveillance footage reportedly showed Berezovska walking ahead of the family before leaving a bag containing the explosive device near their residence. The bomb detonated as the group approached.

Yermolayev and his 13-year-old son sustained serious injuries, while his partner suffered catastrophic injuries. The businessman later described their survival as “nothing short of a miracle”.

After the explosion, investigators identified Berezovska as the suspected bomber. Her image, taken from CCTV footage, was circulated through Interpol on July 2.

She had reportedly fled through Italy and Germany before travelling by bus from Frankfurt to Ukraine.

Yermolayev subsequently said he believed serving HUR officers and people close to the agency’s current and former leadership were connected to the attack. He called for truth, protection and justice.

Suspected Bomber Found Shot Dead

About a week after the explosion, Berezovska’s body was discovered in woodland west of Kyiv, with gunshot wounds to the head.

Zhykovych and Reut were arrested and accused of her murder. According to the report, the two men allegedly took her to the woodland before she was killed.

Reut initially confessed to investigators and led them to the shallow grave. However, he later changed his testimony in court and blamed Zhykovych.

Both men have blamed each other for the killing.

Zhykovych denies murdering Berezovska and insists he did not send her to carry out the bombing.

He told the BBC that Berezovska contacted him the day after the attack. When he asked why she had carried it out, she allegedly said Reut had promised her a substantial payment.

According to Zhykovych, she referred to a promised $50,000 payment.

Berezovska’s husband rejected Zhykovych’s claim that she had worked as an agent, describing the allegation as “nonsense”. He believes she may have been drawn into the affair without fully understanding what was happening.

Conflicting Accounts of Authorisation

Questions remain over whether the Monaco operation was officially sanctioned.

Although Zhykovych initially claimed Reut told him the mission had been approved by senior HUR officials, he later said at a custody hearing in Kyiv that Reut had described the attack as unauthorised.

“Someone had ordered this target from the civilian side,” Zhykovych said, without explaining who the person was.

He also alleged that Reut had discussed two potential targets. Zhykovych declined to reveal the second name, although sources cited by the BBC suggested it could have been a pro-Russian blogger convicted of treason in absentia by a Ukrainian court the previous year.

During the hearing, the judge interrupted Zhykovych and reminded him that he was speaking in open court.

The conflicting statements have raised further questions about whether the bombing was a state-authorised operation, an unauthorised mission involving individuals linked to military intelligence, or an attack driven by other motives.

Businessman Denies Links to Russia

Zhykovych alleged that Reut had described the bombing as retaliation for “funding the annexation of Crimea”.

He said he understood this to mean that Yermolayev had paid taxes to Russia through businesses operating in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Yermolayev has repeatedly denied having any remaining business interests linked to Russia.

The businessman, who surrendered his Ukrainian passport several years ago and now holds Cypriot citizenship, has also dismissed theories that the attack was connected to rival criminal groups involved in Ukraine’s lucrative scam call-centre industry.

Earlier in 2026, an Estonian court convicted his son, Artur Yermolayev, of defrauding Estonian citizens of millions of euros through networks known in Ukraine as “offices”.

Vadym Yermolayev told the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper that he had no involvement in the case.

Berezovsky’s Raises More Questions

Berezovska, 39, had been living in Germany since early 2022, when she left Ukraine as a refugee with her young son.

Zhykovych claimed she had been living a double life and working with him against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said they had met online and were working to resist Russian military aggression.

Her husband disputes the claim that she was an intelligence agent.

Residents of her village told the BBC that Berezovska had been saving money to buy an apartment. According to the report, she travelled to Ukraine to collect the promised payment before being taken to the woodland where she was shot.

The circumstances surrounding her death remain central to the investigation, particularly because she was killed before authorities could question her fully about the Monaco explosion.

Investigations Continue

The investigation is continuing into both the bombing in Monaco and Berezovska’s murder in Ukraine.

Investigators face several unanswered questions, including who ordered the attack against Yermolayev, whether any senior intelligence officials were involved, and why the suspected bomber was killed.

Zhykovych’s account provides one version of events, but his allegations remain unverified. His own role in the bombing and the killing of Berezovska remains a matter for investigators and the courts.