Explosive Device Detonates in Monaco Residential Building; Manhunt Underway
An explosive device was detonated in the lobby of a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening, injuring three people, two of them critically. The incident is being investigated as attempted murder, not a terrorist act.
Incident Timeline and Location
The explosion occurred at approximately 9:00 PM local time on Monday at the entrance of a residential building located on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, near Monaco's border with France. The device, which was reportedly contained in a bag or backpack left in the building's lobby, contained bolts and buckshot. Four additional individuals were treated for shock and minor cuts from shattered windows.
Casualties and Victims
The three injured individuals were transported to hospitals in Nice, France.
- Adults: Two adults, a man and a woman reported to be in their 50s or 60s, sustained life-threatening injuries. Authorities stated on Tuesday that the man's condition had stabilized, while the woman remained in life-threatening condition.
- Minor: A 13-year-old, reported to be related to the couple, sustained less severe injuries.
- Other Victims: Multiple sources identified the wounded man as Vadym Yermolaiev (also spelled Iermolaiev), a Ukrainian-born multimillionaire and permanent resident of Monaco who also holds Cypriot nationality. Ukrainska Pravda reported that Yermolaiev was subject to Ukrainian sanctions in December 2023 related to his alcohol business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Investigation and Suspect
Monaco's public prosecutor, Stephane Thibault, stated the blast is being investigated as attempted murder, not as a terrorist act. He confirmed that a suspect left a bag or package in the building's lobby before fleeing. The motive for the attack remains under investigation, and officials have not specified the intended target.
- Suspect: Video surveillance captured a suspect fleeing the scene on foot toward the neighboring French town of Beausoleil. The suspect was identified via CCTV footage in both Monaco and Beausoleil.
- Manhunt: Over 100 police and emergency personnel initially responded. French authorities, including approximately 30 gendarmes, are assisting in the search for the suspect, who remains at large.
Official Response
Prince Albert II called the incident a "heinous crime," an "odious act," and a "shock to the entire Monegasque community." He stated that all state services were mobilized to ensure security and were cooperating with French authorities.
- Monaco's Minister of State, Christophe Mirmand, initially described the event as an "attack" but subsequently used the term "deliberate explosion." He noted that this is the first such deliberate explosion in the principality's history.
- A news briefing by the prosecutor is scheduled for Tuesday.