On the evening of June 29, a bomb hidden in a backpack ripped through the lobby of a luxury apartment building in the wealthy city-state of Monaco, leaving a Ukrainian businessman, his partner and his teenage son with life-changing injuries. The partner, 46‑year‑old Anna Nasobina, had to have both legs amputated; the businessman, 58‑year‑old Vadym Yermolaiev, was initially critical but later stable; and the 13‑year‑old boy was treated for less severe wounds. Within days, authorities named a 39‑year‑old Ukrainian woman, Anastasiia Berezovska, as the prime suspect, issuing an Interpol Red Notice for her arrest on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive device on a public road with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
The attack appears to have been carefully planned. Prosecutors said Berezovska spent several days casing the residence in the La Rousse district, just yards from Monaco’s border with France. CCTV captured her wearing a dark bucket hat and what witnesses described as a disguise intended to make her look male. Shortly before 9pm local time, she placed a backpack – reportedly filled with nuts and bolts – in the entrance hall of the building. She then left on foot, picked up a hire car with German licence plates, and drove through Italy to Germany, where she had a registered apartment in the Main‑Taunus district. Special forces in the German state of Hesse later searched that apartment and seized a vehicle, handing evidence to Monegasque authorities. Investigators believe she may not have acted alone; they are hunting for possible accomplices.
“A Ukrainian woman disguised as a man is wanted for a bomb attack that injured a billionaire and his family in Monaco.”
The victims are not ordinary residents. Vadym Yermolaiev is a multi‑millionaire real‑estate developer originally from Ukraine, now a Cypriot national living in Monaco. He is under Western sanctions, though the exact trigger for the attack is unclear. The woman injured with him, Anna Nasobina, is described as his partner. Ukrainian sources have suggested Berezovska may be pro‑Vladimir Putin and linked to organised crime, and that she may also hold a Russian passport and have ties to Crimea. Interpol’s Red Notice describes her as armed, dangerous, and possibly in the company of accomplices.
For UK readers, the case highlights several issues. Monaco is a popular base for wealthy Britons and international business figures; a targeted bombing there raises questions about security for high‑net‑worth individuals anywhere. The Interpol Red Notice system is a global tool that the UK’s National Crime Agency and police forces routinely use to track suspects across borders. If Berezovska is found in a European country, extradition procedures could involve British legal channels. The attack also underscores the law‑enforcement cooperation between Monaco, France, Germany and the UK – all of which share intelligence through Interpol.
Q: Who is Anastasiia Berezovska? Anastasiia Berezovska is a 39‑year‑old Ukrainian woman wanted for the Monaco bomb attack. She speaks German, has a distinctive snake tattoo on her right arm, and may have been born in Kazakhstan, holding a Russian passport and living in Crimea while using Ukrainian documents to move freely in the EU. Authorities describe her as pro‑Putin and linked to organised crime.
Q: What is an Interpol Red Notice? A Red Notice is a request to all 196 Interpol member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. It is not an arrest warrant itself, but a tool for international police cooperation. The notice for Berezovska asks forces worldwide to detain her for attempted murder, placing an explosive device, and criminal conspiracy.
Q: Why was the bomb attack carried out? Prosecutors have not officially stated a motive. The targeted victim, Vadym Yermolaiev, is a sanctioned Ukrainian‑born billionaire real‑estate developer. Local reports suggest the attack was an assassination attempt, possibly linked to his business dealings, political status, or personal conflicts. Investigators are still examining the roles of any accomplices.
What happens next depends on where Berezovska is hiding. German police have searched her last known residence and seized evidence, but her current location is unknown – some reports suggest she may have fled as far as the Balkans. Monaco’s prosecutor has praised the swift identification of the suspect but stressed that the hunt is ongoing. Legal proceedings will follow her capture, with extradition to Monaco likely. Meanwhile, the two surviving adult victims face long recoveries, and the principality – long considered one of the safest places in the world – is confronting the reality of a sophisticated, planned bombing on its soil.