A suspected bomb attack in Monaco on Monday evening severely injured a Ukrainian businessman, his wife, and their son.

On Monday evening, a powerful explosion occurred near the entrance of a residential building in Monaco, close to the French border. The blast, which authorities suspect was a targeted attack, left three members of a Ukrainian family injured. The victims include Vadym Yermolayev, a prominent Ukrainian businessman, his wife, and their 13-year-old son. According to police reports, the parents sustained life-threatening injuries, while the child was lightly injured. Several passersby also suffered shock and were treated at local hospitals.

The explosion, reported around 9 PM, caused significant damage to the building’s entrance, including a destroyed door, bent railings, and a blood-stained staircase. Eyewitness accounts and videos shared on social media show flames and debris at the scene. Monaco’s Prime Minister Christophe Mirmand described the incident as ‘likely an attack,’ marking the first such occurrence in the principality’s history. Authorities have launched a major investigation, deploying 40 gendarmes and two helicopters to locate the suspect, who was reportedly seen leaving a package at the site before fleeing.

Vadym Yermolayev, aged 58, is a wealthy entrepreneur from Dnipro, Ukraine, known for his ventures in real estate, agriculture, medicine, and construction. He renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 and holds a Cypriot passport. In 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on Yermolayev for alleged business dealings in Crimea following its annexation by Russia in 2014. Monaco and the French Riviera have become a haven for affluent Ukrainian families since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Yermolayev among those residing in the region.