Parcel Bomb Attack Injures Three in Monaco, Investigation Underway

Three people were injured in an apparent parcel bomb attack in central Monaco on Monday evening, triggering a major security operation in the principality.

Prince Albert II of Monaco condemned what he described as a “criminal explosion,” calling it “a shock for the entire Monégasque community,” and praised emergency services for their response.

Monégasque authorities initially declined to speculate as to the nature of the explosion or the motivation behind it. “I believe we must be cautious about the legal classification of the incident,” Minister of State Christophe Mirmand told POLITICO on Tuesday morning.

But by afternoon Attorney General Stéphane Thibault said authorities were investigating the matter as a case of “attempted murder” and depositing “explosive substances or devices” on a public street.

Prosecutors said two people remained in critical condition in hospital in Nice. Although Thibault declined to confirm the identities of those injured, French media reported Ukrainian-born Cypriot businessman Vadim Ermolaev to be among the victims.

Once one of Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen, he was sanctioned by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2023 over allegations that companies linked to him paid taxes in Russian-occupied Crimea. He has denied wrongdoing.

Mirmand said Monaco had “put in place all protective measures” to raise vigilance across the principality’s services. He added that officials had not determined the victims’ identities or nationalities, and said he was unaware of “any specific threats” against Ukrainians.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said its embassy in France was in contact with Monaco’s authorities and working to officially identify those reported injured in the blast.

The Monégasque government described the blast in a post on X as a “violent explosion linked to a booby-trapped package” that occurred near Place des Moulins shortly before 9 p.m. The area was immediately cordoned off as police opened a judicial investigation.

According to Monaco Public Security, cited by BFM Nice, surveillance cameras captured a man leaving a backpack at the foot of the residential building before walking away moments before the explosion.

Authorities later tracked a suspect fleeing toward the neighboring French town of Beausoleil, prompting a joint investigation with French authorities. Eighty-four police officers and 50 firefighters from Monaco and France were deployed, while forensic teams remained at the scene late into the evening.