Bomb Rocks Millionaires' Paradise, Ukrainian Tycoon Among Victims

A bomb blast from an improvised explosive device rocked a residential building in Monaco, leaving three people seriously injured as the suspected perpetrator immediately fled into France. Local authorities, along with French and Ukrainian media, confirmed that the injured victims were a Ukrainian tycoon and his family members.

The highly unusual attack occurred on Monday at around 9 p.m. local time at the entrance of a residence located near the French border. The impact of the loud explosion injured two adults and a child, all of whom were rushed to a hospital in France with serious injuries.

The bomb terror instantly shocked the elite principality on the Mediterranean coast, triggering a strong reaction from Monaco’s highest leader, Prince Albert II, who condemned the incident and confirmed that the country’s entire security apparatus had been fully mobilised. Joint security forces from France and Monaco are currently hunting the perpetrator, who was detected crossing the national border on foot.

‘The suspected perpetrator crossed the border into France on foot, and was identified via CCTV cameras in Monaco and the neighbouring French town of Beausoleil,’ senior Monaco government official, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, told reporters. Mirmand added that an in-depth investigation into the motive behind the attack is ongoing, while the French national police stated they have deployed personnel to comb the border area to fully support the investigation.

French broadcaster BFM and the Ukrainian news site Ukrainska Pravda identified one of the injured victims targeted in the attack as Vadym Iermolaiev, a prominent Ukrainian construction industry tycoon. According to his track record, Iermolaiev is a controversial figure who was subjected to asset freezes by the Ukrainian government in 2023 for allegedly having prohibited business ties and political closeness with Russia.