A Ukrainian military intelligence officer who previously confessed to killing a woman accused of involvement in an assassination attempt against a wealthy businessman in Monaco has now denied carrying out the murder, complicating a case that has drawn significant public attention in Ukraine.
Vladyslav Reut appeared in a Kyiv court on Thursday for a custody hearing, where he reversed earlier statements regarding the death of Anastasiia Berezovska. Reut had previously led investigators to Berezovska's grave in a wooded area and reportedly confessed to the killing.
However, during Thursday's hearing, Reut said he “categorically denied” murdering Berezovska and instead blamed the crime on an alleged accomplice, Vitalii Zhykovych.
The case has attracted particular scrutiny because both suspects have links to Ukraine's security services. Reut is an active and decorated officer in Ukraine's military intelligence agency, known as the GUR, while Zhykovych previously worked for the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Authorities have not publicly clarified the circumstances behind Reut's change of account, and investigators continue to examine the roles of both men.
The case is connected to an alleged assassination attempt targeting businessman Vadym Yermolayev and members of his family in Monaco last week.
Yermolayev, a multimillionaire who built his fortune in the cognac and real estate sectors, renounced his Ukrainian citizenship several years ago. He was later sanctioned by Kyiv over allegations that he continued conducting business in Crimea after the peninsula was taken over by Russia.
Questions also remain about the motives behind the Monaco attack and the subsequent death of Berezovska, who had been identified as a key suspect in the plot.
President Volodymyr Zelensky briefly addressed the matter on Thursday evening, saying he expected to share “additional relevant reports” in the coming days, suggesting authorities are continuing to investigate the case at a high level.
At the court hearings, both Reut and Zhykovych were brought before judges separately. The suspects appeared handcuffed and were escorted by heavily armed security personnel wearing balaclavas.
With conflicting accounts emerging and few official details released, the case remains one of the most closely watched criminal investigations in Ukraine, raising questions about the involvement of current and former security personnel in a plot that stretches from Kyiv to Monaco.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said...
Georgia could gain a direct electricity link to Europe under plans for a new overland energy corridor connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye ...
Türkiye has unveiled plans for joint military exercises and defence production with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan under a new security pact that i...
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz remains under its control, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim of “total control” over the strategic waterway and insisting it will not reopen until Washington fulfils its commitments under an interim deal.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
Iran and the United States remain at loggerheads over efforts to agree a permanent end to the war in the Gulf, according to a senior Iranian source who said there had been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed in June and define a timeframe to implement it.
Iran and Afghanistan are seeking closer cooperation in agriculture, livestock and irrigation during a three-day Iranian ministerial visit to Kabul, as both sides look to strengthen trade and rural economies.
At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July, according to UN investigators, marking the highest monthly civilian casualty toll since March 2022.
Record rainfall in Japan killed eight people and stranded thousands of travellers at Tokyo's Narita Airport on Friday, as flooding disrupted transport and cut power to 20,000 homes.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 14th of August, covering the latest developments.
Ukraine’s attacks on Russian ports, refineries and shipping infrastructure are putting Moscow’s energy exports under growing pressure and disrupting key trade routes, raising concerns over commercial shipping and global food supplies.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment