A parcel bomb exploded Monday evening around 9:00 pm at a residential building in Monaco, on a street along the border with France. The blast wounded three people: Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, his wife, and their 13-year-old son. Yermolaiev and one other adult sustained life-threatening injuries in the explosion.
Vadym Yermolaiev, a construction tycoon, is believed to have been the target of the homemade device. Although he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, he was sanctioned by Ukraine in 2023 for allegedly doing business in Russian-occupied Crimea and maintaining ties to Russia.
Police in Monaco and France are searching for a suspected bomber who is believed to have fled on foot into France. While one person was arrested and later released, authorities continue to actively pursue the probe. Monaco prosecutor Stephane Thibault stated that the attack is being investigated as attempted murder, though it is not being considered an act of terrorism.