Booby-trapped package in Monaco: Ukrainian oligarch and family seriously injured
A booby-trapped package exploded in Monaco, seriously injuring a Ukrainian oligarch, his wife and their son. The suspect remains at large.
Booby-trapped package in Monaco: Ukrainian oligarch and family seriously injured
On Monday 29 June, an explosive device concealed in a package detonated in Monaco, injuring three people. Among the victims are Vadim Ermolayev, a Ukrainian businessman residing in the principality since 2021, as well as his wife and their 13-year-old son. The attack took place on the ground floor of a building, at the moment the occupants were opening their door.
The explosion was particularly violent. The woman suffered the most serious injuries and remains in critical condition, whilst her husband and their son were hospitalised in a condition deemed less critical. A neighbour, Silvano Ippolito, recounted having rushed over immediately after hearing the detonation. He described discovering the woman lying on the ground, seriously injured, and specified that his wife, a doctor specialising in trauma care, had provided first aid whilst waiting for emergency services to arrive.
The Monégasque authorities quickly opened an investigation into attempted murder. The prosecutor general of the principality, Stéphane Thibault, indicated that CCTV footage showed a man alone, wearing a dark top and wearing a bucket hat, depositing the package outside the targeted address shortly before the explosion. The suspect reportedly fled on foot and subsequently crossed into French territory via the neighbouring municipality of Beausoleil, in the Alpes-Maritimes.
Since Monday, an extensive manhunt has been under way. The Monégasque security forces have been reinforced by French reinforcements: two helicopters, around thirty gendarmes and the RAID are mobilised to find the fugitive. Controls around the principality have been strengthened.
Vadim Ermolayev, 58, is a multimillionaire entrepreneur who made his fortune in wine, banking and property. He is subject to sanctions in Ukraine because of his alleged proximity to Russia, accusations which he contests. According to independent journalist Cyrille Amoursky, a specialist on Ukraine, he is not a respected figure in his country of origin, notably because he continued his commercial activities with Russia after 2014, and then after the start of the large-scale war in 2022.
Source: Franceinfo
Source: France Info