The Principality of Monaco is facing an unprecedented scandal after the investigation into the bombing of Ukrainian oligarch Vadim Ermolaev took a key turn. According to official information disseminated by the French public media France Info in conjunction with the newspaper Le Figaro, the main suspect for planting the explosive device is 30-year-old female of Ukrainian origin.
What we know so far:
- Perpetrator Profile: The CCTV cameras captured the woman, who had been conducting preliminary research in the area for days. On June 29, she placed a parcel bomb in a backpack at the entrance of a luxury apartment building in Monaco, just before the family arrived.
- International wanted: The Monaco Prosecutor General's Office announced that an international arrest warrant has been issued against the suspect. That same evening, a "red notice" from Interpol was issued. According to French intelligence, the woman probably fled to Italy with her accomplices.
- Condition of the injured: 58-year-old Vadim Ermolaev is now out of danger. His partner (reported initially as his wife) remains in critical condition in a hospital in Nice, and after a major operation both of her lower limbs were amputated. Their 13-year-old boy escaped with minor injuries.
- Political motive and sanctions: Ermolaev is a native of Dnipro and holds a Cypriot passport. At the end of 2023, he was sanctioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a period of 10 years due to the activities of his alcohol business in the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, where his companies paid taxes to the Russian budget. Local investigators are checking a deep trail leading to foreign or Ukrainian special services.
Source: France Info and Libération.