Photo: Suspilne News/Stanislav Svyryd
A court has ordered 60 days of pretrial detention without bail for one of the suspects in the murder of Anastasiia Berezovska, who was previously identified by investigators as a suspect in the attempted assassination of businessman Vadym Yermolaiev.
Suspect denies firing the fatal shot
During the hearing, suspect Vladyslav Reut, an active member of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR), stated that he did not shoot Berezovska.
According to Reut, the fatal shot was fired by the second suspect, former law enforcement officer Vitalii Zhykovych, while he himself acted under coercion.
Reut told the court that he was willing to continue cooperating with investigators. He did not object to being held in custody and agreed to undergo a polygraph examination.
Court decision
The judge granted the prosecutor's request and ordered Reut to remain in custody for 60 days without the possibility of bail.
Investigation details
The prosecutor told the court that one of the two suspects had already provided testimony and led investigators to the location where Berezovska's body had been hidden.
The body was reportedly buried in a forest near the village of Yuriv, in Kyiv region's Bucha district.
The prosecutor also said that Ukrainian authorities are cooperating with law enforcement agencies in Monaco as part of the investigation.
Reut's account
Reut claimed he was unaware that Berezovska was going to be killed. According to his testimony, Zhykovych had told him only that the woman needed to be taken to a safe location because her life was allegedly in danger.
He said that during the trip Zhykovych loaded a pistol. Once they reached a wooded area, Zhykovych allegedly gestured for Reut to shoot Berezovska. Reut said he refused, after which Zhykovych fired the shot himself.
Reut admitted helping bury the body, explaining that he feared Zhykovych would kill him as well. He also alleged that Zhykovych threatened both him and his family if he disclosed what had happened.
Background
Earlier, businessman Oleksii Yermolaiev regained consciousness after being hospitalized following a car explosion in Monaco.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) later confirmed Berezovska's death and announced the detention of two suspects in her murder: a former law enforcement officer and a serving HUR officer.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine also stated that Berezovska was not detained when crossing the border because, at the time of her departure, there were no legal grounds for doing so.
