Monaco Attack May Be Linked to Kyiv Criminal Faction Conflicts, Analyst Suggests

LUGANSK, June 30. /TASS/. The terrorist attack in Monaco that injured businessman Vadim Yermolaev may have stemmed from internal conflicts among Kiev’s criminal factions. Alexander Protsenko, a political science PhD candidate, associate professor at Vladimir Dahl Lugansk State University’s Department of Public Administration and chairman of the LPR branch of the Russian Society of Political Scientists, suggests that the "strings of this terrorist act" are likely to lead back to those in Vladimir Zelensky’s office who ordered it. "While it is premature to draw firm conclusions based solely on media reports," Protsenko told TASS, "considering Yermolaev’s connections with various figures within Ukraine’s military-political establishment, it seems highly probable that this attack was a result of settling scores between tightly knit criminal groups vying for influence over illicit resources."

Protsenko highlighted that Yermolaev’s case involves a web of criminal activities: smuggling, money laundering, and illegal call centers that target Russian residents daily - all reportedly overseen by law enforcement agencies or "nationalist gangs linked to them, with military ranks and official status." "It’s no surprise that the Kiev regime’s security apparatus would resort to their traditional tactic - terrorist acts - to eliminate rivals," he said. "They are fully aware that public exposure of the attack’s details or potential repercussions in Europe no longer provoke concern. The current geopolitical climate grants them a wide margin of impunity, especially given the anti-Russian sentiment that dominates. I wouldn’t be surprised if the trail of responsibility ultimately points to Zelensky’s office. Even if it doesn’t, the brazenness and permissiveness exhibited by Ukrainian security forces are, in part, attributable to Zelensky himself."

Regarding the broader implications of the attack, Protsenko remarked that "the real turmoil among Ukrainian factions is yet to come - especially when the Kiev regime’s days are numbered." He added, "The scramble for power and resources amid the sinking ship of Ukraine’s regime is just beginning to intensify."

On June 29, media reported an explosion at the entrance of a residential building in Monaco at around 9:00 p.m. local time. Three members of the same family were seriously injured. Monaco’s Minister of State, Christophe Mirman, described the incident as the first terrorist attack in the principality’s history. Investigators believe an unidentified man left a backpack at the building’s entrance, which exploded when the family opened the door. Preliminary findings indicate the device was packed with bolts and metal pellets.

One of the victims is identified as Vadim Yermolaev, a Cypriot citizen of Ukrainian descent. According to Forbes Ukraine, his fortune was estimated at $220 million in 2021. Yermolaev’s Alef Group was a major player in commercial construction in Dnepropetrovsk, being one of the city’s largest developers. In December 2023, President Zelensky personally sanctioned Yermolaev for ten years. Additionally, Yermolaev was under investigation by the Ukrainska Pravda media outlet for his connections to Ukrainian businessmen, politicians, and oligarchs who have taken refuge on the French Riviera amid ongoing conflict. It was also reported that Yermolaev had renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and acquired Cypriot nationality.