DistantNews
Support us
🇧🇪 Belgium /Crime & Justice

Ukrainian officer changes statement in Monaco bombing suspect's murder case

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • A Ukrainian intelligence officer accused of murdering the suspect in a Monaco bombing case has changed his statement in court.
  • The officer, Vladyslav Reut, now claims his co-defendant, Vitaliy Zhykovych, shot the suspect, Anastasiia Berezovska, after Reut refused to do so.
  • Reut alleges Zhykovych threatened his family, prompting his initial confession and his claim that he is now telling the truth to protect himself and his country.

A Ukrainian intelligence officer, Vladyslav Reut, has altered his testimony in a Kyiv court regarding the murder of Anastasiia Berezovska, the primary suspect in a Monaco bombing case. Berezovska was found dead near Kyiv shortly after being identified as the suspect.

I want to tell the truth.

— Vladyslav ReutDuring his court testimony when changing his statement.

Reut, initially confessing to shooting Berezovska and leading investigators to her body, now claims his co-defendant, Vitaliy Zhykovych, a former police officer, is the actual killer. According to Reut's revised statement, he and Zhykovych drove to pick up Berezovska, who Reut claims needed to be hidden for "a criminal matter" he did not specify. At a wooded location, Reut alleges Zhykovych ordered him to shoot Berezovska, saying "It's her or us." When Reut refused, he claims Zhykovych shot her four times in the back of the head.

It's her or us.

— Vitaliy ZhykovychAllegedly said by Zhykovych to Reut before the shooting.

Reut stated he confessed to the murder earlier because Zhykovych threatened his family, saying, "If something happens to me, your family members will be in danger." Reut emphasized his service in defending his country and stated he would "never intentionally murder an innocent civilian." Zhykovych's lawyer denies the accusations, arguing it's improbable for a civilian to order an intelligence officer to commit murder. The lawyer also described Zhykovych as a "patriot" who fought in eastern Ukraine in 2014.

If something happens to me, your family members will be in danger.

— Vitaliy ZhykovychAllegedly said by Zhykovych to Reut as a threat.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog