Peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia stall due to escalating strikes

Ukraine has intensified its air strikes, launching drones deep into Russian territory, targeting oil refineries in Crimea and tanks in Moscow. The goal appears to be sending a strong message to Moscow, especially as peace negotiations between the two nations remain ineffective.

In a separate incident, Interpol issued an emergency notice for Anastasia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian suspect connected to the bombing of an apartment in Monaco that was reportedly aimed at a Ukrainian oligarch with Russian ties.

Reports suggest that the June 30th bombing left construction magnate Vadim Ermolayev injured. The Monaco prosecutor, Stéphane Thibault, refrained from naming the victims but noted that a woman and a 13-year-old child, believed to be family members of Ermolayev, were also hurt in the explosion.

Berezovska is wanted for attempted murder and for leaving explosives on a public road with criminal intent. Interpol describes her as a dark-haired woman who speaks German and may have a snake tattoo on her arm.

Initially, the suspect was thought to be male. Monaco’s deputy prosecutor, Morgan Raymond, described an individual who was several meters from the victims, placing explosives at the entrance before detonating them from a distance.

Investigators examining videos leading up to the explosion found a man in a fishing cap lurking around the apartment building. However, this individual was not present in the crucial security footage from June 28. Instead, the woman appearing to be Berezovska mirrored the man’s actions.

Raymond indicated that the evidence suggested a premeditated attack aimed specifically at the three victims.

Authorities managed to track Berezovska as she fled through France and into Germany, raiding her apartment in Frankfurt last Thursday. Raymond mentioned that the complexity of the explosive device implies she likely didn’t act independently.

While the authorities have not disclosed the exact motive for the bombing, the background of Ermolayev is significant. The 58-year-old oligarch renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 and became a Cypriot citizen in 2019. Ukrainian media claimed he’s under government sanctions for alleged ongoing connections to Russia, including tax payments to Moscow and running a business in Crimea, which has been under Russian control since 2014.