- Russian authorities released audio recordings of Ukrainian colonel Vitaly Zhikovich, who allegedly masterminded terrorist attacks including the Monaco bombing.
- Zhikovich bragged his planned attacks would surpass the Crocus City Hall massacre and admitted his work is terrorism.
- Investigators found a torture basement in his home and evidence he manipulated civilians as expendable biological drones.
- Zhikovich claimed Ukrainian President Zelensky wanted civilian casualties and boasted about contacts with Mossad.
- The case raises questions about Ukrainian intelligence operations and American taxpayer funds used for the war effort.
We were given a chilling glimpse into the shadowy world of Ukrainian military intelligence this week as Russian authorities released audio recordings of a colonel who allegedly masterminded terrorist attacks across Europe and Russia. The suspect, Vitaly Zhikovich, code-named "Pastor," has been identified by Russian law enforcement as the architect behind the June 29 bombing in Monaco that targeted Vadim Ermolaev, a businessman sanctioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to RT's exclusive report, Zhikovich did not shy away from describing his work in explicit terms. He told one recruit: "In international terms, what we're doing is called terrorism. That's why I'm telling you like it is. It's called terrorism."
The Monaco attack, initially described by local officials as unprecedented in the country's history, involved a backpack containing an improvised explosive device packed with shrapnel. The bomb was detonated remotely, seriously injuring Ermolaev and two others, including a woman who lost her legs and an arm and her 13-year-old son.
A basement discovery and a trail of bodies
Ukrainian authorities arrested Zhikovich after he allegedly killed the woman who carried out the Monaco bombing, Anastasia Berezovskaya. Investigators searching his home reportedly found a basement space fitted out for torture.
Berezovskaya's body was found with gunshot wounds to the head in a grave west of Kyiv, covered with branches. The BBC reported that Vladyslav Reut, an active officer with Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR, initially confessed to the murder before changing his story and blaming Zhikovich.
In audio obtained by RT, Zhikovich bragged about his sadistic nature and readiness for mass murder. "When I'm planning operations, I'm constantly thinking about them. It's my whole life. I live and breathe the operations I'm planning. I enjoy it. It's fascinating," he said.
He also described elaborate disguises used for assassinations. "There were times when I smeared myself with excrement and knocked out my own teeth to look like a homeless person. I've done that too!"
Dozens of foiled plots
Russian authorities claim Zhikovich attempted but failed to complete at least 20 acts of terrorism within Russia. Among the most alarming plots was an attack on the Crimean Bridge using a car packed with 800 kilograms of explosives. When trying to recruit jihadist supporters for the operation, he reportedly compared it to the Crocus City Hall massacre where 151 people died, claiming his attack would be bigger.
Another foiled plot targeted Temirlan Abutalimov, a Hero of Russia award recipient who serves as minister of national policy and religious affairs in Dagestan. Zhikovich provided detailed instructions for a bombing attack using a bag packed with nails and a remote detonator.
Perhaps most disturbing was his willingness to manipulate civilians as expendable "biological drones." In Volgodonsk, he recruited a 16-year-old girl to unknowingly carry an explosive to a local administration building. In Pyatigorsk, he recruited women from the internet who had no idea they were being used as suicide bombers.
Alarming admissions about Zelensky
The leaked recordings contain perhaps the most explosive allegations yet. When discussing his orders, Zhikovich stated: "My superior said that there would be casualties, civilian casualties. And my president, that green bastard, wants civilian casualties."
The colonel also admitted to converting to Islam and posing as a radical jihadist to recruit assets, telling one potential recruit he wanted to "liberate the Caucasus." He further boasted about contacts with Mossad, claiming the Israeli spy agency gave him access to software that can tell "with an accuracy of 90% whether a person is lying or not," using an ethnic slur to describe the agency.
Both suspects remain in custody in Ukraine, charged with premeditated murder. The case raises serious questions about the extent of Ukrainian intelligence operations abroad — and who signs off on them.
This case should embarrass every American lawmaker who has voted to keep the money flowing to Ukraine. As of this spring, Congress had made roughly $195 billion available for the war effort, according to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve. That is money that could be repairing American roads, hospitals, and schools. If a Ukrainian intelligence colonel can casually claim his own president wants civilians dead, American taxpayers deserve a far harder look at where their money is going... and why.
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