One of the suspects in the murder of a woman, who may have planted a bomb in an assassination attempt on businessman Ermolaev in Monaco, stated that the businessman might have been targeted due to 'financing the annexation of Crimea'. According to Zhikovich, the assassination attempt on the businessman was carried out due to 'financing the annexation of Crimea,' a detail he learned from another suspect, Vladislav Reut.

Zhikovich believes this implies that Ermolaev was paying taxes to Russia through his business in occupied Crimea.