Monaco Bombing: Investigators Suspect Ukrainian Security Service Behind Attack on Businessman

PARIS, June 30. /TASS/. The investigation into Monday's attempt on the life of Ukrainian businessman Vladimir Yermolayev in Monaco is going on the theory that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was behind the attack, according to Le Figaro.

"According to several sources contacted by Le Figaro, investigators are inclined to believe that the SBU is behind this crime," it said.

It highlighted that Yermolayev had renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and was individually sanctioned by Kiev.

"According to our information, the attack looks more like a 'warning' than a premeditated murder attempt," the newspaper says.

The story also said that Yermolayev's companion, who was next to him at the time of the explosion, was seriously injured: "She lost her leg and both feet." Yermolayev also suffered severe leg injuries, but there's no information indicating that he needed to have a any limbs amputated. According to media reports, doctors are fighting for the woman's life in a Nice hospital, while the businessman was transported to Marseille. His 13-year-old son was thrown 20 meters by the shockwave, and he suffered burns all over his body.

At this point, the authorities have not revealed anything about the identity of the person who planted the explosive device at the entrance to the house. He crossed the border with France on foot and fled to the commune of Beausoleil, bordering Monaco. Le Figaro said that it turned out to be difficult to track his further movements, since the French commune is "significantly more modestly equipped" with cameras, unlike the principality of Monaco. More than 80 law enforcement officers from Monaco, as well as about 40 French gendarmes and two helicopters are involved in the search for the suspect.

On Tuesday morning, Monaco Attorney General Stephane Thibault said at a press conference that the authorities did not classify the incident as a terrorist attack and were leaning towards attempted murder. He said that besides Yermolayev, his companion and son, two people who nearby were also injured by fragments of shop windows in the neighboring houses.

The explosion in Monaco

The explosion happened at the entrance of an apartment building in Monaco at 9:00 p.m. local time (7:00 p.m. GMT) on June 29. According to Minister of State (head of government) Christophe Mirmand, the incident is something Monaco has never seen before. According to the investigation, an unidentified man left a backpack at the door of the house, and when family members opened the door, the explosive device went off. According to preliminary data, it was filled with bolts and metal pellets.

According to media, one of the victims is Yermolayev, a Cyprus citizen of Ukrainian origin. In 2021, the Ukrainian Forbes estimated his fortune at $220 million. The Alef Group, owned by the businessman, was engaged in the construction of commercial facilities in Dnepropetrovsk and was one of the largest developers in the city.

In December 2023, Vladimir Zelensky imposed personal sanctions against Yermolayev for 10 years. The businessman became part of the investigation of the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper about Ukrainian businessmen, politicians and oligarchs who settled on the Cote d'Azur during the military conflict. It was also reported that Yermolayev renounced his Ukrainian citizenship for Cyprus citizenship.