Unprecedented Letter Bomb Attack in Monaco Injures Three, Including Sanctioned Ukrainian Oligarch
An explosive device detonated in the lobby of a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening, injuring three people in what authorities are treating as a deliberate attack. The suspect remains at large.
The explosion occurred at approximately 9:00 PM local time in a building where Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Iermolaiev, a multimillionaire under Ukrainian sanctions, resides. According to Yle, the device contained bolts and pellets, which caused severe injuries to a middle-aged couple and minor injuries to a 13-year-old, described by Helsingin Sanomat as "very likely a relative" of the victims. Two additional individuals were hospitalized due to shock.
Public Prosecutor Stephane Thibault stated that the suspect left a bag or package in the building’s lobby before fleeing toward France, as captured by surveillance footage (Yle). The motive behind the attack remains unclear. Helsingin Sanomat reports that the bomb may have been placed at Iermolaiev’s front door, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Monaco’s Minister of State, Christophe Mirmand, called the incident unprecedented, stating it was the first such attack in the principality’s history. Prince Albert II condemned the act as a "horrific crime," expressing shock on behalf of the entire country (Yle).
Vadym Iermolaiev, who has renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and holds Cypriot citizenship, has been on Ukraine’s sanctions list since 2023 due to his business ties to Russian-occupied Crimea (Helsingin Sanomat). Authorities have not yet determined whether he was the primary target of the attack.