A parcel bomb exploded inside a residential building in Monaco on June 29, 2026, critically injuring two adults and causing less serious wounds to a 13-year-old, according to authorities investigating what they described as a deliberate attack.
The blast occurred at about 9pm local time, or 19:00 GMT, on a street beside the border with France. Monaco’s government said a suspect captured by surveillance video fled in the direction of Beausoleil, the neighboring French municipality. French police were working to find the person, an aide to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.
Public prosecutor Stephane Thibault said the suspect had left a bag or package in the building’s lobby before departing. Minister of State Christophe Mirmand said the device apparently contained bolts and buckshot. Authorities had not established why the building was selected, Thibault said.
Mirmand reported that a couple in their 50s or 60s sustained life-threatening injuries. The teenager, who was probably related to the adults, was less seriously hurt. Officials did not release their identities. Emergency personnel also treated four other people for shock and cuts caused by broken windows.
French outlets BFM TV and Le Figaro identified the intended target as Vadym Yermolaiev, described as a major real-estate developer in Dnipro. France 24 reported that he left Ukraine several years earlier, gave up Ukrainian citizenship and became a Cypriot citizen. He was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in December 2023, reportedly over activity by his alcohol business in Russian-occupied Crimea. Monaco’s authorities did not disclose the victims’ names in the cited account, so the reported identification remained based on those media reports.
Large emergency deployment
Around 50 firefighters and 80 security personnel responded. Police restricted access to the area, and a helicopter flew overhead as the operation continued. Mirmand said witness information had helped authorities identify the suspect, while intelligence services examined the victims’ backgrounds and considered whether anyone else might face a particular threat.
Prince Albert II called the explosion a “heinous crime” and said it had shocked the Monegasque community. Mirmand described the incident as unprecedented in the principality to his knowledge, underscoring the exceptional nature of a targeted explosive attack in Monaco.
The investigation initially established the suspected delivery method, the lobby as the placement site and the route taken by the fleeing person. It had not, however, produced a publicly stated motive in the account available after the explosion. The prosecutor was expected to provide a further briefing on June 30.
The proximity of the scene to France made the search cross-border from its earliest stage. Monaco authorities handled the blast site and examined the package, while French police pursued the suspect reported to have escaped toward Beausoleil. The inquiry remained focused on identifying the perpetrator, determining why the building was attacked and assessing whether the victims’ backgrounds indicated any wider danger.
