Monaco bombing was 'attempted assassination', not terror attack, prosecutors say
Monaco prosecutors have stated that Monday evening's explosion in a residential building lobby, which injured a Ukrainian-born businessman and his family, is being treated as an attempted assassination rather than a terrorist attack.
Authorities in Monaco are searching for a suspect after a parcel bomb exploded in the lobby of a residential building on Monday, June 29, 2026, shortly before 9 p.m., causing what officials described as a 'powerful explosion'. The victims were identified by French media as Vadym Iermolaiev, his wife, and their 13-year-old child. Iermolaiev and his wife were taken to hospital with serious injuries, while their child was also wounded.
On Tuesday morning, the Monaco prosecutor announced that the investigation had been opened into an attempted assassination, as early inquiries ruled out a terrorist attack. Iermolaiev, originally from the south-eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, founded the Alef trade and industrial corporation and became one of the region's most influential property developers and businessmen.
The attack has shaken the normally ultra-safe principality of Monaco. Police continue to search for the suspect and are appealing for any information from the public.
