| 2026 Monaco bombing | |
|---|---|
| Location | 43°44′46″N 7°25′48″E / 43.746120°N 7.430072°E / 43.746120; 7.430072 4 Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, Monaco |
| Date | 29 June 2026 c.21:00 (CEST; UTC+02:00) |
| Target | Vadym Yermolaiev |
Attack type | Parcel bombing (IED) |
| Weapons | Backpack parcel bomb containing bolts and metal fragments (shrapnel) |
| Injured | 3 |
| Perpetrators | Unknown |
| Motive | Under investigation (possible targeted attack) |
| Inquiry | Monaco Police; French National Gendarmerie |
On 29 June 2026, an explosion occurred at the entrance of a residential building at 4 Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla in Monaco, near the Monaco-France border. Three people were injured including two adults, left in critical condition, and a 13-year-old child. The blast was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) reportedly in a backpack left at the scene by an unidentified suspect, who fled toward France shortly after the detonation. Le Monde reported that it was "a settling of scores linked to organized crime".[1]
Explosion
The explosion occurred shortly before 9 pm.[2][3] Officials described it as a parcel bomb. The suspect dropped a package or backpack at the entrance of a residential building on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla shortly before the explosion.[2] The explosive device contained buckshot and bolts.[4] It was detonated via remote control.[5] The building was close to the French border.[4] The blast was felt as far away as Nice, France, 13 miles away, Stéphane Thibault, Monaco’s prosecutor, said at a news conference.[6] The main target was considered to be Vadym Iermolaiev, a Ukrainian-born oligarch.[2][7][7] Iermolaiev's female friend had life-threatening injuries, and her legs were amputated soon after arriving in hospital. Yermolaiev himself sustained burns and shrapnel injuries, while a young man whose identity was not released suffered less serious injuries.[8] Two further people were in a state of shock.[8]
Suspect
An Interpol red notice was issued for a Ukrainian-born woman who is the main suspect behind the attack.[5] The Deputy Prosecutor of Monaco, Morgan Raymond stated that the said the attacker had walked across the nearby border just meters from the property, before fleeing in a car rented in Germany. They returned to Germany via several European countries.[5] German authorities have said that the location of the woman is unknown.[5]
Reactions
Minister of State Christophe Mirmand said that it was the first time in the history of Monaco that such an attack had occurred. The perpetrator is currently on the run, and a possible motive is being investigated.[4]
Sources of Ukrainska Pravda linked the attack with scam call centers in Ukraine, in particular in Dnipro.[8] On 4 December 2025 Iermolaiev's son Artur was detained in Cyprus and extradited to Estonia.[9][10] Estonian investigators accused Artur Iermolaiev, along with three other defendants, of having created fraudulent call centers in Ukraine. Artur Iermolaiev entered into a plea bargain with the Estonian court, received a suspended sentence and paid an €8.5 million fine, and then left Estonia.[9] He has since been banned from entering Estonia.[9]
References
- Fischer, Sofia; d’Istria, Thomas; Minisini, Lucas (1 July 2026). "Monaco explosion: The Ukrainian-born oligarch's shady business dealings". Le Monde. Retrieved 1 July 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Police hunt fugitive after blast in Monaco wounds three, French media reports". Reuters. 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- Jaroslav, Jaroslav (29 June 2026). "Three people injured after explosion in Monaco, French media report". BBC News. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- "Monaco explosion leaves three wounded as authorities probe deliberate attack". France 24. 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- Henley, Jon (3 July 2026). "Three people injured after explosion in Monaco, French media report". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- https://abcnews.com/International/investigators-searching-suspect-after-package-bomb-monaco-injures/story?id=134354070
- Fenbert, Abbey (29 June 2026). "Massive explosion in Monaco injures Ukrainian family, media reports". Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- "Monaco explosion: businessman's wife has legs amputated, attack may be linked to fraud call centres in Dnipro". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Harding, Luke (30 June 2026). "'He isn't political': the Ukrainian-born oligarch targeted by a Monaco bomber". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- На Кіпрі затримали сина підсанкційного бізнесмена Єрмолаєва – джерела УП. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 20 December 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2026.