Explosion in Monaco reportedly wounds Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia, search for suspect underway

By — Philippe Magoni, Associated Press Philippe Magoni, Associated Press By — Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press Sylvie Corbet, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/explosion-in-monaco-reportedly-wounds-ukrainian-tycoon-with-ties-to-russia-search-for-suspect-underway Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Explosion in Monaco reportedly wounds Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia, search for suspect underway World Jun 30, 2026 3:38 PM EDT MONACO (AP) — An explosion at an apartment building entrance in Monaco reportedly wounded a Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia and two other people, the chief prosecutor in the exclusive Mediterranean country said Tuesday. A search was underway for a suspect who fled on foot after the blast late Monday, Prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said, adding that the motive was unclear. READ MORE: Zelenskyy condemns 'horrific attacks' as Russian strikes kill 12 and wound at least 40 in Ukraine Media reports identified Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev as being among the injured. He has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, and he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russia. A woman and a child were also hurt. "It appears that the family was specifically targeted," said Christophe Mirmand, the minister of state for Monaco. He said the suspect "had walked around the area several times while waiting for the victims," according to surveillance footage. It was not clear why the family was targeted or by whom. Russia has a long history of targeting its enemies abroad, and Western intelligence officials have recently said that a campaign of targeted killings has ramped up since President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is also believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said its embassy in France, which is also responsible for Monaco, was in touch with local authorities. Ukrainian diplomats were at the scene providing assistance, it said. Attack shocks glamorous Monaco The attack shocked the country on the Mediterranean coast, one of the world's smallest sovereign states known for its high concentration of wealthy residents. Monaco's Prince Albert II described it as "an odious act" and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security. Monaco police opened an attempted murder investigation into the attack, but they did not describe it as a terrorism investigation, Thibault told reporters. The family members are "regular" residents of Monaco, and authorities did not yet know whether they had been threatened in the past, Mirmand said. The blast occurred around 9 p.m. Monday at the entrance of a residence near the French border. The woman who was wounded was in life-threatening conditio