Monaco Parcel Bombing: Suspect Identified as International Arrest Warrant Issued

Monaco authorities have identified a suspect and issued an international arrest warrant in connection with a parcel bombing that seriously wounded a sanctioned Ukraine-born businessman and two other people, the principality's prosecutor's office announced on Thursday.

"An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect, who will be the subject of an Interpol Red Notice from this evening," the prosecutor's office said. A judicial investigation for attempted murder and several other charges has been opened and handed to three investigating judges.

How the Attack Unfolded

According to authorities, an individual left a package in the entrance hall of a small apartment building located just steps from the French border on Monday evening. Shortly afterwards, an explosive device detonated in the hall just as three residents — a couple and a 13-year-old — were entering the building. All three were injured.

The teenager was admitted in non-critical condition to the Lenval children's hospital in Nice, while the two adults, whose lives were reported to be in danger, were taken to Nice University Hospital. By Wednesday, the man was no longer in a life-threatening state, but the woman's condition had not yet stabilised.

Who Was Targeted

Monaco authorities have not officially confirmed the victims' identities. However, according to consistent sources, the attack targeted Vadym Yermolaiev, 58, a wealthy businessman originally from Ukraine who now holds Cypriot nationality, along with his partner and his son.

A resident of Monaco since at least 2021, Yermolaiev has been subject to sanctions in Ukraine since December 2023 over his business activities in Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia. Kyiv alleges he ran an alcohol business in Russia-annexed Crimea and continued paying taxes to Moscow even after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

A source told AFP that there had been people willing to target the construction magnate in Dnipro, the industrial Ukrainian city where he built his fortune.

Investigation and International Cooperation

French media, including Le Figaro and BFMTV, reported that the suspect — captured on CCTV wearing a black fisherman's hat — is believed to be a woman who attempted to pass as a man. Monaco's public prosecutor, Stéphane Thibault, did not address this claim in his statement but scheduled a press briefing for shortly before noon on Friday.

Thibault praised Monaco's police forces and what he described as "effective international criminal cooperation, both police and judicial," which he said made it possible "to identify, in a particularly short time, the person suspected of having carried out the attack."

The bombing has sent shockwaves through Monaco, an ultra-secure microstate near Nice that has long been a haven for the world's ultra-rich. As the investigation continues and the Interpol Red Notice takes effect, questions remain over the motive and identity of the suspect. Share this article to keep others informed as the case develops.

Source: France 24 – English