UPDATED Friday, July 3 at 14:31pm
An international manhunt is underway after the main suspect in the Monaco bombing was named as Anastasiia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman now wanted in connection with the attack that injured businessman Vadym Yermolaiev and members of his family.
According to Reuters, Berezovska has been named in an Interpol Red Notice and is wanted by Monaco authorities on suspicion of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.
The attack took place on Monday evening outside a residential building in Monaco. Yermolaiev, his partner and his son were injured in the blast. His partner is reported to remain in a critical condition.
Monaco Deputy Prosecutor Morgan Raymond said the suspect allegedly left a parcel outside the building before detonating the explosive device remotely as the victims arrived.
Authorities now believe the suspect fled Monaco on foot, crossed into France, then escaped using a vehicle that had been rented in Germany. She is believed to have travelled back through several European countries, including Italy, before returning to Germany.
A judicial source in Monaco told Reuters that the suspect was later spotted in Frankfurt.
Earlier this week, officials had described the suspect as male after CCTV footage showed a figure wearing dark clothing and a bucket hat. Investigators now believe the suspect was a woman who had disguised herself as a man.
According to prosecutors, surveillance footage also showed the suspect scouting the area in the days before the attack, often wearing similar clothing to that seen on the day of the bombing. On one occasion, her long dark hair was reportedly visible, which helped investigators establish that the suspect was female.
German criminal police have confirmed that they searched a rented flat and vehicle linked to a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman as part of the investigation. Evidence was secured and is expected to be handed over to Monegasque authorities.
Investigators are now examining whether Berezovska acted alone. Prosecutors said the sophistication of the attack has led them to consider the possibility of accomplices, or whether the bombing may have been ordered by another person.
Two people were arrested in Monaco earlier this week but have since been released.
The motive for the attack has not been confirmed.
Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian-born businessman, has been described in international reports as the apparent target of the bombing. He has previously been subject to sanctions in Ukraine, although authorities have not publicly linked those matters to the attack.
The case is being investigated as a deliberate and targeted act of violence. Monaco’s Prosecutor General has previously stressed that the attack is not being treated as terrorism at this stage.
The bombing has shocked Monaco, where violent attacks of this nature are extremely rare. The investigation now stretches across several European countries, involving Monaco, France, Germany and Interpol.
Berezovska remains on the run.
Blue Coast News will continue to follow this story as the international manhunt develops.