The aunt of Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman identified by investigators as the prime suspect in the Monaco bomb attack targeting Ukrainian businessman Vadim Ermolaev, has insisted her niece was “set up” and would never have willingly carried out such an act, as reported by Monaco Matin…
Speaking to Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne, Kateryna Krasnoperova said she believes the 39-year-old may have been manipulated, threatened or promised a reward. She described Berezovska as a devoted mother whose greatest priority was her young son, suggesting she may have acted out of fear for her own life or the safety of her family.
According to Monaco Matin, Berezovska had been married and divorced twice, leaving her with official identity documents under three different surnames: Berezovska, Pylypchuk and Shevchuk. She left Ukraine with her young son in late 2022 and was granted refugee status in Germany, where she reportedly lived on social assistance while planning to enrol her son in school. Investigators say she later used her German residence permit to rent an apartment in nearby Beausoleil before travelling to Monaco ahead of the June 29 explosion.
Family members told Ukrainian media they only learned of her alleged involvement through social media. Berezovska briefly returned to Ukraine to see her son before she was allegedly lured to a meeting and later found shot dead and buried in a forest near Kyiv.
The international investigation into both the Monaco bombing and Berezovska’s murder remains ongoing.