New details have emerged in the investigation into the Monaco bombing that injured Ukrainian-born businessman Vadim Ermolaev and members of his family, with reports claiming the suspect monitored the family’s movements for hours before detonating the explosive device remotely.
The explosion happened on Monday evening, June 29, near the entrance of a residential building in Monaco. The case is being investigated as attempted murder. Monaco’s Prosecutor General Stéphane Thibault has stressed that authorities are not treating the attack as terrorism at this stage.
According to France Télévisions journalist Eric Pelletier, investigators have reconstructed the suspect’s movements using surveillance footage. The suspect is reported to have watched the family’s comings and goings during the morning before returning to the area in the evening.
He then allegedly waited close to an hour near the building before the victims arrived home. As Ermolaev and his family approached the entrance, the suspect is said to have walked ahead of them, placed a bag containing the explosive device near the doorway, continued past the building, then turned back to check the family had reached the entrance before triggering the device remotely.
Seconds after the explosion, the suspect reportedly fled on foot, running towards the French border via a stairway. Investigators later lost his trail after he crossed out of Monaco.
The blast injured Ermolaev, his partner Anna Nasobina and their 13-year-old son. Both adults were seriously injured, while the teenager suffered less severe injuries. Other people nearby were also reportedly affected by glass and the force of the explosion.
Forensic teams from Marseille’s technical and scientific police unit are now analysing evidence from the scene, including the remains of the bag believed to have contained the device. Investigators are also examining a bench where the suspect is thought to have sat while waiting for the family to return.
CCTV footage is understood to have captured the suspect near the building shortly before the attack. Authorities are continuing to work to identify and locate the person responsible.
Ermolaev, a wealthy businessman originally from Ukraine, has been named in several international reports as the apparent target of the attack. He has previously been subject to sanctions in Ukraine. However, authorities have not publicly confirmed a motive, and any link between his business background and the bombing remains unproven.
The investigation has been opened for attempted murder and the placing of an explosive device in a public place. The exact nature of the device, the identity of the suspect and the motive behind the attack remain central questions for investigators.
The incident has caused shock in Monaco, where violent attacks of this nature are exceptionally rare. Security footage, forensic analysis and cross-border coordination with French authorities are now expected to play a key role in the investigation.
No arrest has been publicly confirmed at this stage.
The suspect remains at large, and prosecutors have not released any final conclusions.