Major update on Monaco explosion as suspect's location revealed

Three people have been injured in an explosion that took place in a residential building in Monaco last night (29 June).

The blast, allegedly originating from a backpack left in an apartment, occurred on Rue Reverend Pere Louis Frolla at around 9pm local time. Vadim Ermolaev, one of Ukraine’s wealthiest men, has been named as one of those seriously injured in the incident.

Two people were seriously injured in the explosion, and French newspaper Le Figaro added that those injured were part of the same family. A man was captured on CCTV leaving a backpack at an apartment block before the blast. A manhunt has now been launched to locate the suspect after he allegedly fled to the French border.

In a message shared on X, the official page for the government said: “A suspect was spotted by the video surveillance system fleeing toward the municipality of Beausoleil on French territory”.

Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti commented the incident on X, saying in a translated message: “The attack carried out this evening is a tragedy that strikes Monaco. Thoughts for the victims, their families, and the people of Monaco. Total support for the security forces and emergency services mobilised.”

Monaco’s minister of state Christophe Mirmand initially told AFP: “This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has occurred in the Principality.”

Ermolaev is described in public sources as a Cypriot-based businessman of Ukrainian origin and real estate developer, best known for his role in developing projects in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. According to publicly available reports, Ermolaev obtained Cypriot citizenship in 2019 and later renounced his Ukrainian citizenship.

Ukrainian media and monitoring organisations have reported that he has been subject to sanctions imposed by Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, including asset freezes and commercial restrictions introduced in 2023.

Ermolaev has previously denied wrongdoing, according to Ukrainian media reports. The alleged attacker’s motive at this stage is not yet known.