An explosive device detonated outside a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening, leaving three people with serious injuries and sending the attacker fleeing across the border into neighboring France, according to local authorities.
The shocking incident rattled the wealthy Mediterranean principality, prompting Monaco’s ruler, Prince Albert II, to speak out strongly against what he described as “an odious act,” adding that all of the nation’s resources had been activated to maintain security.
Monaco’s top government official, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, told reporters that both French and Monaco law enforcement are actively searching for the attacker, and that investigators are still working to determine a motive.
The blast took place at approximately 9 p.m. near the entrance of a residence close to the French border. Two adults and a child were injured in the explosion and transported to hospitals located in France, Mirmand said.
According to Mirmand, the suspect crossed into France on foot and was tracked through video surveillance footage captured in Monaco and in the nearby French town of Beausoleil.
A French national police official confirmed that French authorities are actively involved in the search for the suspect and are assisting with the investigation, though the official declined to provide additional details.
French broadcaster BFM and Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda have reported that one of the injured individuals is Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Iermolaiev. Ukrainska Pravda further reported that Iermolaiev was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 due to alleged ties to Russia.
