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An explosion in a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening injured three people, including a teenager, and prompted a joint police hunt by authorities in Monaco and France for a suspect who fled on foot. Officials described the device as "deliberate" and the blast as unprecedented in the principality's history.

The blast struck shortly before 9 p.m. local time in a building on a street along the border with France, in the center of the wealthy Mediterranean micro-state known as a haven for billionaires. Two victims, a couple in their 50s or 60s, suffered life-threatening injuries, according to Christophe Mirmand, Monaco's Minister of State, who spoke to the AFP news agency. A 13-year-old who was "very likely related to the couple" suffered less serious injuries. Mirmand did not disclose the victims' identities.

Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev was among the wounded, according to a source close to the investigation who asked not to be named, as reported by ABC Australia and Al Jazeera. Yermolaiev, a multimillionaire Monaco resident, has been subject to sanctions from Kyiv since December 2023, reportedly linked to his alcohol business activities in Russian-occupied territories.

Coverage comparison

The attack is being investigated as a deliberate act. Mirmand initially told AFP the blast appeared to be "an attack," but later dropped that term, describing it as a "deliberate explosion," as reported by ABC Australia and Al Jazeera. The public prosecutor, Stephane Thibault, said nothing appeared to indicate why the building had been targeted, according to ABC Australia.

French newspaper Le Figaro reported that video surveillance images showed a man dropping a backpack at the entrance of a residential building shortly before the explosion, a detail carried by The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, and Fox News. BFM TV described the explosive device as a "parcel bomb," citing Monaco's prosecutor general, according to The Guardian and Jerusalem Post.

Mirmand said the device apparently contained bolts and buckshot, as reported by ABC Australia. He added, "This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality."

French emergency crews were sent to the scene to assist, and authorities in France and Monaco launched a joint operation to find the suspect, according to France's Interior Ministry, as reported by Fox News and Jerusalem Post. The suspect was last seen on foot heading toward the French border, according to The Guardian, which cited police investigating the case.

Key Claims

  • Explosion and injuries: Three people were injured in the blast, including a teenager, according to reports from ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and Fox News. Two victims suffered life-threatening injuries, as noted by Fox News and Jerusalem Post.
  • Victim's identity: Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian oligarch, was among the injured, according to a source close to the investigation cited by AFP, as reported by ABC Australia and Al Jazeera.
  • Explosive device: The device contained bolts and buckshot, as stated by Mirmand, according to ABC Australia. BFM TV described the device as a "parcel bomb," as reported by The Guardian and Jerusalem Post.
  • Suspect's actions: Surveillance video shows a man leaving a backpack at the scene before the explosion, according to Le Figaro, as reported by Fox News, The Guardian, Jerusalem Post, and other outlets. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene on foot toward the French border, according to The Guardian.
  • Investigation: Authorities described the explosion as "deliberate," and a joint search is underway across Monaco and France. The prosecutor's office said the suspect left a bag in the building's lobby, as reported by ABC Australia.
  • Detention of a foreign national: A foreign national was detained in Monaco as part of the investigation but was released without charges, according to Monaco Info television, as reported by TASS. French investigators also questioned a minor injured in the explosion, the same report said, adding that two other victims with serious injuries were still unable to give testimony, with one in critical condition.

Perspectives

The material carries two distinct viewpoints from the same official source, Monaco's Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, but they are not in conflict: he initially described the event as an "attack" but later refined that to a "deliberate explosion." No other named parties in the material express a different view on the nature of the event, so no separate perspectives section is included.