Monaco authorities have issued an arrest warrant and coordinated with Interpol to issue a "red notice" for the suspect who planted a parcel bomb at a luxury residential building. The explosion seriously injured three people: a Uyghur-Ukrainian property billionaire, his female companion, and a 13-year-old boy.
The Monaco Public Prosecutor's Office announced progress on the parcel bombing case from Monday night (29 Jun), stating investigators have identified the suspect and the court has officially approved an arrest warrant. The suspect is a foreign national who has fled Monaco, prompting authorities to coordinate with Interpol to issue a "red notice" for global police assistance in tracking and temporarily detaining the suspect regardless of the country where found.
The incident occurred in the lobby of a residential building in Monaco near the French border. CCTV footage captured an individual placing a parcel before a powerful explosion happened as people were entering the building, causing three serious injuries. After the blast, the suspect, wearing a black hat, fled toward the French town of Beausoleil, located at a border crossing without immigration checks.
Although officials initially thought the perpetrator might be male, French local media citing sources reported the main suspect is actually a woman attempting to disguise her true identity. However, Monaco's Attorney General, Stéphane Thibaut, declined to comment on the suspect’s gender but praised the swift cooperation between Monaco and French police that led to quick identification of the culprit.
While Monaco authorities have yet to officially confirm the identities of the injured, local media unanimously report that the assassination target was Vadim Yermolaev, 58, a well-known property billionaire who resides in Monaco.
Yermolaev renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 to obtain Cypriot nationality. Forbes magazine ranked him in 2020 as the 39th richest person in Ukraine, with assets valued at $230 million. However, he has major business interests in the wine and alcohol industry in Crimea, a region annexed by Russia, which led the Ukrainian government to impose sanctions on him starting in 2023.
The blast injured Yermolaev, his female companion, and a 13-year-old boy, all of whom were immediately hospitalized. Initially, the two adults were in a coma, but by Wednesday, AFP reported that Yermolaev's condition was no longer critical. The woman's condition remains unstable and requires close monitoring. Prince Albert II of Monaco condemned the incident as a "most heinous and brutal crime."
Monaco is known as a haven for billionaires, a luxury casino hub, and for its stringent security. The city-center explosion has caused alarm locally. The Attorney General stated the case is being investigated as attempted murder, not terrorism, and that further official details will be announced on Friday.