Suspect Identified in Monaco Parcel Bombing That Injured Sanctioned Ukrainian-Born Oligarch
Monaco's prosecutor's office announced Thursday it has identified a suspect in the parcel bombing that seriously injured a sanctioned Ukraine-born multimillionaire, his partner and son. An arrest warrant has been issued, along with an Interpol Red Notice.
Suspect Identified
Monaco’s prosecutor’s office said Thursday that investigators have identified a suspect in the package bombing that last Monday severely wounded a Ukraine-born multimillionaire under sanctions along with two others. The prosecutor’s office announced that an arrest warrant has been issued and that the suspect will be the subject of an Interpol Red Notice.
According to French daily Le Figaro and BFMTV, the suspect, captured on CCTV wearing a black fisherman’s hat, is believed to be a woman who tried to pass as a man. Monaco’s public prosecutor, Stephane Thibault, did not confirm this in his statement but scheduled a press briefing for Friday.
The Bombing and Victims
On Monday evening, an individual left a package in the entrance hall of a small apartment building just steps from the French border. Shortly afterwards, an explosive device detonated as three residents – a couple and a 13-year-old – were entering, injuring them. Consistent sources say the attack targeted Vadym Iermolaiev, 58, a wealthy businessman originally from Ukraine and now a Cypriot national, along with his partner and son.
The son was admitted in non-critical condition to the Lenval children’s hospital in Nice, while the two adults, initially in life-threatening danger, were taken to Nice university hospital. By Wednesday, the man was no longer in a life-or-death situation, but the woman’s condition had not yet stabilized.
Sanctions and Background
Iermolaiev, a Monaco resident since at least 2021, has been under Ukrainian sanctions since December 2023 for his business activities in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. Kyiv alleges he ran an alcohol business in Crimea, paying taxes to Moscow even after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The bombing has shocked Monaco, an ultra-secure micro-state near Nice that serves as a playground for the world's ultra-rich.
