Suspect Hunted After Bomb Blast Injures Three In Monaco Residential Building

Police in Monaco and France are actively searching for a suspect accused of detonating a makeshift bomb in the center of the Mediterranean principality, an act that left three people seriously injured. Authorities in the micro-state, a global haven for billionaires and luxury yachts, confirmed the blast occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time on Monday within a residential building.

The explosion caused significant harm, including to a teenager. Monaco's Minister of State, Christophe Mirmand, initially characterized the event as an "attack" before refining the description to a "deliberate explosion." He reported that a couple in their 50s or 60s suffered life-threatening injuries, while a 13-year-old, likely a relative of the couple, sustained less serious wounds. Mirmand noted that the device appeared to consist of bolts and buckshot.

Among the wounded was Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, according to a source close to the investigation who requested anonymity. Yermolaiev, a multimillionaire resident of Monaco, has faced sanctions from Kyiv since December 2023, reportedly linked to his alcohol business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea.

Monaco's public prosecutor, Stephane Thibault, stated that the suspect left a bag or package in the building's lobby before departing. Video surveillance footage, as reported by French newspaper Le Figaro, captured a man dropping a backpack at the entrance shortly before the blast. Mirmand emphasized the gravity of the event, stating, "This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality."

Prince Albert II condemned the incident as a "heinous crime" and a "shock to the entire Monegasque community." Meanwhile, an aide to French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez indicated that law enforcement is working to locate the perpetrator, who has since fled the scene. At the location, an AFP photographer observed a heavy police presence surrounding the cordoned-off area, with a helicopter circling overhead.