Allied Intelligence — 2026-07-18

Ukrainian Businessman Accuses HUR Military Intelligence of Monaco Assassination Attempt; Kyiv Says Officers Acted Without Leadership Knowledge

BLUFKyiv's "rogue officers" framing is unlikely to be formally reversed before mid-January 2027, absent sworn testimony or documentary evidence linking HUR leadership to the Monaco operation.

Vadym Iermolaiev, the Ukrainian businessman injured in the June 29 Monaco bombing, said in a letter released through his law firm and reported by Nice-Matin that serving HUR officers were "directly involved" in the attempt on his life, with some tied to the agency's current or former leadership 12345. Iermolaiev, whom Kyiv sanctioned in 2023 over alleged Russia ties he denies, called on authorities in Monaco, Ukraine and France and unspecified international institutions to guarantee protection for his family, witnesses and lawyers until all responsible, including whoever ordered the attack, are held accountable 24. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office and the SBU have said the two men charged in the case, serving HUR officer Vladyslav Reut and former SBU officer Vitaliy Zhykovych, acted without HUR leadership's knowledge 145. HUR spokesman Andriy Yusov rejected Iermolaiev's accusations as "political statements" that harm the investigation 3. Reut initially confessed to killing bombing suspect Anastasiia Berezovska but told a Kyiv court on July 9 that Zhykovych had fired the fatal shots 34.

Analysis
Iermolaiev's letter directly contradicts Kyiv's account that Reut and Zhykovych acted alone. If the claim holds, HUR leadership faces accusations of sanctioning a lethal operation on European soil rather than merely failing to detect a rogue subordinate. Reut's reversal on the witness stand, from confessing to Berezovska's killing to blaming Zhykovych, undermines confidence in either man's account of who ordered the Monaco attack. HUR's dismissal of the accusation as political statements indicates the agency intends to contest the claim publicly rather than open an independent inquiry. Low confidence in any assessment of HUR leadership culpability reflects that no evidence beyond Iermolaiev's own letter has surfaced to corroborate his account.

5 sources