Disguised Ukrainian woman is prime suspect in attack on Ukrainian oligarch in Monaco

©Julien Lanoy via Unsplash

Monaco is still reeling from Monday evening’s explosion on Rue Révérend-Père-Louis-Frolla, near the French border. Three people were injured in the explosion, including Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev and his partner. According to authorities, both are in critical condition.

Monegasque judicial authorities are treating the incident as a deliberate attack. Minister of State Christophe Mirmand told AFP it was “likely an attack,” in which the explosive was presumably filled with bolts and metal pellets. The area was immediately cordoned off, and police and emergency services investigated the site of the explosion, where the damage occurred at the entrance to an apartment building.

Backpack explodes

According to surveillance footage, a suspect left a backpack near the building shortly before the explosion, after which that person fled on foot toward Beausoleil. French and Monegasque media report that a manhunt was subsequently launched on both sides of the border. Monaco and France are jointly searching for the perpetrator, who remains at large.

Later, the Monaco Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the prime suspect is a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman living in Germany. She is wanted for attempted murder, and Interpol has issued a Red Notice. According to the authorities, she was disguised as a man at the time of the attack and had conducted several reconnaissance missions in the same disguise in the days leading up to it.

Escape route

After the attack, the suspect is believed to have driven toward Italy in a rental car with German license plates, according to Monegasque prosecutors. Meanwhile, German police searched her home in Hesse but did not find her there. According to the authorities, the investigation suggests that the woman may not have acted alone.

The authorities are providing limited information about the victims, but French, Monegasque, and Ukrainian media have identified the family as Yermolaev, his partner, and their 13-year-old son. The teenager sustained minor injuries; four other people present had to be taken to the hospital due to shock. Yermolaev is a controversial and wealthy businessman who built his fortune in real estate and industrial ventures and was later sanctioned by Ukraine for business ties to Russian-occupied territory. The motive for the attack remains unclear at this time.

©Julien Lanoy via Unsplash - illustrative image of Monaco