A woman suspected of attempting to assassinate businessman Vadim Yermolaev in Monaco was found dead near Kyiv

The body of a woman was found near Kyiv, whom law enforcement agencies considered one of the suspects in the case of the assassination attempt on Ukrainian businessman Vadim Yermolayev, which occurred in late June in the Principality of Monaco. According to preliminary information, the woman died from gunshot wounds.

This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources in law enforcement agencies.

According to the information of the publication’s interlocutors, the body was found on the evening of July 6 near Kyiv. It was previously established that the woman was shot. It is also reported that from March 22, 2025 to July 1, 2026, she was outside Ukraine.

Law enforcement officers have already detained two people as part of the pre-trial investigation. According to sources, one of the detainees is a current officer of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the other is a former law enforcement officer. Official reports regarding the suspicions raised or the role of the detainees in the criminal proceedings have not yet been made public.

Attack in Monaco

As a reminder, on June 29, an explosion occurred near a residential building in Monaco, injuring three Ukrainian citizens. According to French media, an unknown person left a backpack near the house, after which the explosion occurred.

According to local media, businessman Vadim Yermolayev was among the victims. A woman who lost both legs as a result of the explosion, and a 13-year-old teenager were also injured. French law enforcement officers are considering the incident as a possible terrorist attack.

After the incident, the National Police of Ukraine opened a criminal case on the fact of attempted murder. It was also reported that German law enforcement officers conducted searches at the apartment of a Ukrainian citizen, who was wanted by Interpol as one of the key suspects in the case.

What is known about Vadim Yermolayev

Vadym Yermolayev is the founder of the Aleph trade and production corporation and one of the well-known Ukrainian entrepreneurs. He was previously on the list of the richest businessmen in Ukraine.

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, since 2018 Yermolayev has had citizenship of the Republic of Cyprus. The SBU also stated that his alcohol business was re-registered in the occupied Crimea in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, and the enterprises paid taxes to the budget of the aggressor state. The businessman himself publicly denied committing any illegal actions.

Currently, the pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement agencies are not officially disclosing all the circumstances of the woman’s death, nor are they commenting on the possible connection of her death with the criminal proceedings regarding the attempt on the businessman.