A parcel bomb exploded at a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening around 9pm local time, injuring Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev and two others in what authorities described as a deliberate attack. The explosive device contained bolts and pellets, according to Christophe Mirmand, Monaco's Minister of State. Video surveillance footage showed a man in a dark hat placing a backpack in the building's lobby shortly before the blast, according to French newspaper Le Figaro.
Two of the three injured remain in critical condition at a hospital in the nearby French city of Nice, with a woman among those most seriously hurt. A 13-year-old, identified by Le Figaro as their son, also sustained injuries. Four additional people received treatment for shock and cuts from shattered windows caused by the blast.
Monaco prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said authorities are treating the incident as attempted murder rather than terrorism. Mirmand called it "the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality."
The suspected bomber fled on foot toward the French commune of Beausoleil immediately after the explosion, crossing the border into France. Video surveillance captured the suspect in both Monaco and Beausoleil, prompting a coordinated manhunt involving more than 100 police and emergency personnel deployed across the region. An aide to France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed police were working to locate the perpetrator.
Harri Richie, a resident living approximately 100 meters from the targeted building, told the BBC she heard an "unbelievably loud explosion" from an underground car park and later watched emergency services removing two badly injured people from the building.
Yermolaiev, 58, is a wealthy real estate developer from Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city, who has been living in Monaco. He renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 and now holds Cypriot citizenship. Forbes magazine named him the 39th richest Ukrainian in 2020, valuing his fortune at $230 million.
The oligarch faces sanctions imposed by Ukraine's government since December 2023 over his alcohol and wine business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine's foreign ministry said its embassy in France was in touch with Monaco's authorities and working to officially identify those injured in the blast.
Monaco's Prince Albert II described the incident as a "heinous crime" and "a shock to the entire Monegasque community," while the mayor of Nice called it a tragedy striking the neighboring principality.
A parcel bomb exploded at a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening around 9pm local time, injuring Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev and two others in what authorities described as a deliberate attack. The explosive device contained bolts and pellets, according to Christophe Mirmand, Monaco's Minister of State. Video surveillance footage showed a man in a dark hat placing a backpack in the building's lobby shortly before the blast, which French newspaper Le Figaro reported based on security camera images.
Two of the three injured remain in critical condition at a hospital in the nearby French city of Nice, with a woman among those most seriously hurt. A 13-year-old, described as likely related to the couple, also sustained injuries. Four additional people received treatment for shock and cuts from shattered windows caused by the blast.
Monaco prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said authorities are treating the incident as attempted murder rather than terrorism. Mirmand called it "the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality."
The suspected bomber fled on foot toward the French commune of Beausoleil immediately after the explosion, crossing the border into France. Video surveillance captured the suspect in both Monaco and Beausoleil, prompting a coordinated manhunt involving more than 100 police and emergency personnel deployed across the region. An aide to France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed police were working to locate the perpetrator.
Harri Richie, a resident living approximately 100 meters from the targeted building, told the BBC she heard an "unbelievably loud explosion" from an underground car park and later watched emergency services removing two badly injured people from the building. A helicopter remained overhead throughout the night as rescue operations continued.
Yermolaiev, 58, is a wealthy real estate developer from Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city, who has been living in Monaco. He renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 and now holds Cypriot citizenship. Forbes magazine named him the 39th richest Ukrainian in 2020, valuing his fortune at $230 million.
The oligarch faces sanctions imposed by Ukraine's government since December 2023 over his alcohol and wine business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine's foreign ministry said its embassy in France was in touch with Monaco's authorities and working to officially identify those injured in the blast.
Monaco's Prince Albert II described the incident as a "heinous crime" and "a shock to the entire Monegasque community," while the mayor of Nice called it a tragedy striking the neighboring principality.
Highlighted text was flagged by the council. Tap to see feedback.
