Monaco’s judicial authorities have publicly identified the principal suspect in the Principality’s first-ever parcel bomb attack as a Ukrainian woman in her 30s who disguised herself as a man — while Interpol, in a Red Notice published on Friday, names her as Anastasiia Berezovska, a Ukrainian national last residing in Germany.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday 3rd July, Monaco Deputy Attorney General Morgan Raymond was joined by Éric Arella, Controller in charge of Public Security, and Chief Commissioner Émeline Moreau, Head of the Criminal Investigation Division, to outline the investigation that led to an international arrest warrant and an Interpol Red Notice.

The conference followed Thursday evening’s announcement that investigators had identified the alleged perpetrator. Friday’s briefing marked the first time authorities publicly explained how they reconstructed the attack, tracked the suspect across several European countries and released her image through Interpol.

Suspect identified as Ukrainian woman living in Germany

While prosecutors declined to officially confirm the suspect’s identity during the press conference, the Interpol Red Notice issued shortly afterwards identifies her as Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian national whose last known residence was in Germany.

According to the notice, she was born in Ukraine on 26th June 1987, speaks German, has dark hair and a distinctive tattoo, believed to depict a snake, covering her right arm from the shoulder to the elbow.

Raymond confirmed that the suspect is wanted for attempted murder, placing an explosive device on the public highway with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.

Planned attack following days of surveillance

Raymond said investigators established that the suspect carried out several reconnaissance visits around the Sun Palace residence on Rue Révérend Père Frolla before the attack.

Security camera footage showed an individual appearing to be a man, dressed in a black bucket hat, dark long-sleeved clothing, light-coloured shorts and carrying a light-coloured shopping bag, visiting the area on 26th June and 27th June.

On the evening of 29th June, shortly before 9pm, the suspect allegedly waited on a bench at Place des Moulins before following the three intended victims as they returned home on foot after dining at a seafront restaurant.

“He stood up a few metres ahead of the victims, placed an explosive device taken from his shopping bag on the entrance steps of the building, then turned to confirm the presence of the three victims before triggering the explosion using a remote control,” Raymond explained.

Three people were injured in the blast – Ukrainian businessman Vadym Iermolaiev, his partner and teenage son.

CCTV revealed the suspect’s disguise

Investigators initially believed they were searching for a man. However, Raymond said a witness who had interacted with the individual on the evening of the explosion prompted detectives to re-examine surveillance footage.

Reviewing recordings from 28th June — the only day the apparent male suspect was absent — investigators identified a woman following exactly the same route around the scene.

Her movements, pauses outside the building and overall behaviour mirrored those of the individual previously captured wearing the bucket hat.

Combined with the discovery of a prominent tattoo on her right arm, investigators concluded the apparent male suspect and the woman were the same person.

“The repeated reconnaissance operations and the pauses made in front of the building clearly demonstrate the intention to specifically target the three victims,” Raymond said.

Escape reconstructed across Europe

Following the explosion, the suspect fled on foot towards France. Investigators were then able to identify a vehicle she had used during her stay in the Principality, obtaining a German registration plate. This allowed them to retrace her escape route from France into Italy and subsequently through several other European countries, before establishing that she had reached her country of residence. The car was found to have been rented specifically for the operation from a company in Germany where the suspect lived.

The woman is now the subject of an international arrest warrant, while an Interpol Red Notice has been circulated to police forces worldwide.

Investigation continues into possible accomplices

Although the alleged perpetrator has been identified, Raymond stressed that the investigation remains ongoing.

“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi appear to indicate that the person who placed the device was not acting alone,” he said.

Two men were arrested in Monaco on Wednesday 1st July and Thursday 2nd July as part of the investigation. However, Raymond confirmed that “the interviews and investigations carried out did not establish any active participation by these two individuals in the events of 29th June,” and both men were subsequently released.

Investigators are now focusing on determining whether the suspect had accomplices or whether the attack was commissioned by another party.

More than 250 officers mobilised

Public Security chief Éric Arella praised what he described as an exceptional mobilisation by Monaco’s security services.

“To be precise, the identification took 53 hours,” he said. He revealed that more than 250 officers were deployed immediately after the explosion to secure the Principality, while nearly 70 judicial police investigators worked continuously, day and night, on the criminal investigation.

Approximately 300 investigative actions were carried out and around 200 judicial reports were produced during the first stages of the inquiry.

Arella said Monaco’s CCTV network had proved “absolutely decisive” in identifying the suspect, while thanking the French National Police, the Gendarmerie, the Marseille forensic laboratory, Interpol, Europol and law enforcement agencies from more than 20 countries for their assistance.

“The identification of the material perpetrator in just over 48 hours — or, to be precise, 53 hours — is the result of the exceptional mobilisation of our personnel,” Arella said.

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Photo source: Monaco Judicial Services