Three people, including a Ukrainian businessman and a child, were seriously injured when an explosive device detonated at a residential building in Monaco, authorities said, adding that the suspected attacker fled across the border into France.
The blast took place around 9pm on Monday at the entrance of a residential building near the French border, according to Monaco’s Minister of State Christophe Mirmand.
The two adults and the child were taken to hospitals in France for treatment.
Authorities in Monaco and France have launched a joint search for the suspect, whose motive remains under investigation.
Mirmand said the suspect escaped on foot into France shortly after the explosion and was tracked through surveillance cameras in Monaco and the nearby French town of Beausoleil.
A French national police official confirmed that French police are assisting in the investigation and searching for the suspect, but did not provide further details.
The attack shocked the tiny Mediterranean principality, where such incidents are rare.
Monaco’s ruler, Prince Albert II, condemned the explosion, calling it “an odious act,” and said all security and emergency services had been mobilized to protect the public.
French broadcaster BFM and Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda identified one of the injured as Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Iermolaiev.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Iermolaiev was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 over alleged ties to Russia. Authorities have not confirmed whether he was the intended target of the attack.
