Monaco blast probe begins after family targeted near French border

Monaco,UPDATED: Jun 30, 2026 16:32 IST

Monaco authorities have opened an attempted murder investigation after an explosive device injured three people, including a reported Ukrainian businessman, at the entrance of a residence near the French border. Chief prosecutor Stephane Thibault said the suspect acted alone, is still at large and is not being investigated for terrorism at this stage.

The blast took place at around 9 pm on Monday. Officials said the motive remains unclear, though surveillance footage suggests the family was specifically targeted. Authorities in Monaco and France are searching for the unidentified suspect, who is believed to have fled into neighbouring France.

Thibault told reporters on Tuesday that one of the injured is a woman who is in life-threatening condition. He said the second victim, a man, is no longer in life-threatening condition, while a child's life is not in danger. He did not identify them.

Christophe Mirmand, Monaco's minister of state, told French broadcaster LCI that the woman is being treated at a hospital in Nice. He said her partner and a 13-year-old child suffered less serious injuries but remain in hospital.

According to Mirmand, the three victims were 'apparently returning home peacefully' in the evening. 'They were caught in the explosion as they crossed the threshold of their apartment building,' he said. He added that the victims are 'regular' residents of Monaco, but authorities do not yet know whether the family had been threatened in the past.

'It appears that the family was specifically targeted,' Mirmand said, adding that the suspected attacker 'had walked around the area several times while waiting for the victims', according to surveillance footage. 'In the minutes before the explosion, he was apparently waiting for the victims,' he said.

Media reports identified one of the injured as Ukrainian construction businessman Vadym Yermolaiev. Ukrainian news site Ukrainska Pravda reported that he was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 over alleged ties to Russia. Yermolaiev, who is originally from Dnipro, built his fortune through the Alef Group, with interests in commercial real estate, manufacturing and agriculture. In an interview with Forbes Ukraine, he said he gave up his Ukrainian citizenship and became a Cypriot citizen in 2017. In December 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on Yermolaiev as part of a wider package targeting people and companies that Kyiv said had business links to Russia or Russian-occupied territories.

Law enforcement officers were deployed across Monaco and nearby areas on Tuesday morning as the search continued. A French national police official confirmed that efforts were under way to trace the suspect. The attack has shocked Monaco, which is widely seen as one of the safest places in the world and is known for its extensive CCTV network. Prince Albert II called the blast 'an odious act' and said all services in the principality had been mobilised to ensure security.

The investigation is now focused on identifying the attacker and establishing the motive behind the blast that injured three members of a family outside their home, with Monaco and French authorities continuing their cross-border search.

With PTI Inputs

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