Cross-border manhunt launched after parcel bomb injured Ukrainian business tycoon, two others
French and Monegasque authorities have launched a cross-border manhunt after a parcel bomb exploded at a residential building in Monaco, seriously injuring wealthy Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev and two other people.
The explosion occurred on Monday evening at an apartment building on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, near Monaco’s border with France. Officials said the blast injured seven people, with three, including a woman reported to be the most seriously hurt, hospitalized in critical condition in the French city of Nice.
Monaco Public Prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said investigators are treating the incident as attempted murder, ruling out terrorism as the motive. Authorities are searching for a lone suspect believed to have fled into neighboring France shortly after the explosion.
According to Monaco’s government, the explosive device was concealed in a parcel and reportedly contained bolts and metal pellets, indicating it was designed to maximize injuries, according to BBC.
Surveillance footage is said to show a man leaving a backpack in the lobby of the residential building moments before the blast before escaping on foot toward the French commune of Beausoleil.
More than 100 police officers and emergency personnel were deployed to the scene, while helicopters assisted in the overnight search operation.
Residents described hearing a powerful explosion that shattered nearby windows and sent emergency responders rushing to the scene within minutes.
Monaco’s Minister of State Christophe Mirmand described the attack as unprecedented in the principality, while Prince Albert II condemned it as a “heinous crime” that had shocked the nation.
Media reports identified one of the victims as Vadym Yermolaiev, a 58-year-old real estate developer originally from Ukraine’s city of Dnipro. Yermolaiev, who later acquired Cypriot citizenship, has extensive business interests, including investments in Crimea, and has been under Ukrainian sanctions since 2023.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said its embassy in France is working closely with Monaco’s authorities to verify the identities of those injured and monitor developments in the investigation.
The motive behind the attack remains under investigation as authorities continue their search for the suspect.
