Authorities in Monaco have launched a manhunt after an explosion injured three people in the wealthy principality, with French and Ukrainian media reporting that the intended target was Ukrainian-born oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev.
The blast occurred on Monday evening in Monaco, a state known for its luxury lifestyle, casinos, yachts and high-profile residents. Police in Monaco, assisted by French authorities, are searching for the suspected bomber, who is believed to have fled across the border into France, according to Monaco’s Minister of State, Christophe Mirmand.
Monaco shares open borders with France, with no routine border controls between the two countries, while Italy is located nearby.
Mirmand said the three main victims remain hospitalised, with one woman suffering the most severe injuries. Local newspaper Monaco Matin reported that the explosion caused devastating injuries to her lower limbs. A young man was also injured but is in a less serious condition.
French and Ukrainian media identified the reported target as Vadym Yermolaiev, a former real estate developer from the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Yermolaiev left Ukraine several years ago, renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and later became a citizen of Cyprus.
Ukraine imposed sanctions on Yermolaiev in December 2023 over allegations that he conducted business in Russian-occupied Crimea. In a 2024 interview with RBC-Ukraine, he denied owning or operating any businesses in Crimea.
Mirmand neither confirmed nor denied that Yermolaiev was the intended target of the attack. He added that the most seriously injured victim would receive further treatment at hospitals in Nice or Marseille.
Officials have not disclosed the identities of the victims, and local authorities have declined to provide additional details as the investigation continues.
Describing the incident, Prince Albert of Monaco called the explosion “an odious act,” adding that it had come as a shock to the principality. He said Monaco was working closely with French authorities to locate the suspect.
According to French media, surveillance footage captured a man leaving a backpack at the entrance of a residential building shortly before the explosion. Monaco Matin published a CCTV image of the alleged suspect, showing a man wearing dark clothing and a hat while carrying a white shoulder bag.
BFM TV, citing Monaco’s prosecutor general, reported that the explosive device was a “parcel bomb.”
