MONACO — Police in Monaco and neighboring France launched a cross-border manhunt Tuesday after a suspected parcel bomb exploded outside a residential building in the principality, injuring three people in what two sources said was an attack targeting a Ukrainian-born oligarch.
Monaco prosecutor Stephane Thibault said the suspect fled on foot into France after Monday evening’s explosion and is being sought on suspicion of attempted murder.
The blast occurred outside a ground-floor apartment shortly before the occupants arrived home, authorities said.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, the primary victim was Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev. A police source also identified the other victims as Yermolaiev’s partner and his son.
The woman suffered severe injuries and remained in critical condition after sustaining wounds from the waist down, while Yermolaiev’s condition was no longer considered critical. His son suffered less serious injuries. All three remained hospitalized Tuesday.
Thibault declined to officially confirm the victims’ identities, noting investigators had not yet interviewed them, but said the injured man had lived in Monaco since at least 2021.
Investigators said the attacker left a parcel outside the apartment building shortly before the family arrived, triggering the explosion.
Authorities from Monaco and France are coordinating efforts to identify and arrest the suspect, taking advantage of extensive security resources despite the absence of routine border checks between the two countries.
“In coordination with the French authorities, we are pursuing efforts to identify and apprehend him. I hope that will happen quickly, given the resources we are deploying,” Thibault said.
The attack stunned the tiny Mediterranean principality, known internationally for its luxury casinos, superyachts and reputation as one of Europe’s most secure destinations.
Prince Albert described the bombing as “an odious act” that had shocked Monaco.
Yermolaiev received Cypriot citizenship in 2019 and was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023. Ukrainian media have reported the sanctions were linked to alleged business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Paris said it was working to verify the identities and nationalities of those involved in the incident.
The bombing comes amid heightened concern over attacks targeting Ukrainian and Russian figures across Europe. Earlier this year, German authorities arrested a suspect wanted in connection with the 2025 killing of a former pro-Russian Ukrainian politician outside a school in a wealthy suburb of Madrid.
