A UKRAINIAN spy accused of executing the suspected Monaco bomber has now claimed he did not pull the trigger.
Vladyslav Reut “categorically denied” murdering Anastasiia Berezovska and blamed his alleged accomplice in court on Thursday.
GUR military intelligence officer Vladislav Reut has denied murdering Anastasiia Berezovska Credit: East2West
Prime suspect Anastasiia Berezovska, 39, was allegedly killed in a forest by two Ukrainians Credit: East2West
Vitaly Zhikovich, a security service (SBU) agent, has also been arrested Credit: East2West
Ukrainian prosecutors showed footage of an alleged torture chamber Credit: East2West
Berezovska, 39, was accused of blowing up an oligarch and fleeing to Ukraine – before she was found dead just days after the attack.
Vadim Ermolaev, 58, his lover Anna Nasobina, 46, and their son Ariel, 13, were left severely injured in the explosion.
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Berezovska was accused of working with accomplices.
GUR military intelligence officer Reut, 33, and Vitaly Zhikovich, 49, a security service (SBU) agent were arrested earlier this week.
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Reut led investigators to Berezovska’s body in the woods before cops discovered a grim torture chamber in Zhikovich’s basement.
The two suspects were brought into court for separate hearings with their hands cuffed, surrounded balaclava clad security.
In a bombshell twist, Zhikovich’s lawyer said the pair have been “framed” and were acting on orders from the state.
Anatoliy Ivanov claimed the pair had loyally defended Ukraine during their careers in state service.
After leading investigators to Anastasiia’s body, Reut changed his story in court Credit: East2West
He said: “What desire will there be to defend this country if, for carrying out orders, for doing what you do while risking your life, you end up behind bars?
“I believe this was not murder, since murder is the unlawful taking of life, but rather that a certain person was liquidated.”
Reut initially admitted to shooting Berezovska indicating his superiors had “given him an order” to do so, the lawyer said.
He believed he was acting to defend Ukraine, and believed he would be protected by his superiors, Ivanov added.
Reut then changed his story and instead blamed Zhikovich for the cold-blooded killing.
He told the court: “Zhikovich fired the first shot at her in the back of the head.
“She fell down. He came up and fired another shot. I was standing a few metres away at that moment.”
The officer insisted on taking a polygraph test to prove his “innocence”.
The pair are accused of killing the main suspect of the Monaco bomb Credit: X
Anastasiia was seen buying a power bank on the day of the blast Credit: East2West
The GUR works closely with Western intelligence agencies amid the war in Ukraine.
The suspects claims of a state ordered killing and cover up would cause significant damage if proven to be true.
French president Emmanuel Macron has already urged Zelensky to urgently get to the bottom of the murky affair.
The Ukrainian leader said he will share “additional relevant reports” in the coming days.
In Zhikovich’s basement investigators found a dungeon resembling a torture chamber.
But it is not believed that Berezovska was held here.
Both Reut and Zhikovich have been charged with “intentional murder committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy”.
The pair were remanded in custody and denied bail.
Vadim Ermolaev, one of the richest men in Ukraine, was seriously injured in the explosion Credit: Jattvibe private archive
Ermolaev’s mistress Anna Nasobina, 46, had both her legs amputated after the explosion
It comes after extraordinary footage showed the Monaco bomber grinning and buying a power bank just hours before she allegedly planted the bomb.
Ukrainian border guard chiefs say that when Berezovska returned to her home country on July 1, there were no flags from Interpol saying she should be detained.
She was allowed into the country and subsequently contacted Reut and Zhikovich and agreed to meet.
Ermolaev reportedly had a £112,000 bounty on his head, but it is not known who ordered the attempt on his life.
There are suspicions that the bombing could be related to disputes over a call centre business in Dnipro which involved Ermolaev and his adult son Artur, 35.
