Explosion in Monaco Building Wounds Three People

An explosive device hidden in a backpack detonated at the entrance of a residential building in Monaco shortly before 9 p.m. local time on June 29, 2026. The blast wounded Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and their 13-year-old son.

Video surveillance captured a man leaving the backpack at the building entrance before the explosion. The device contained bolts and buckshot. Yermolaiev and his partner, both in their 50s and 60s, were left in life-threatening condition.

Their son suffered less serious injuries. Four other people received treatment for shock and cuts after windows shattered in the blast, which occurred along the border with France. Monaco’s Minister of State Christophe Mirmand described the incident as the first known deliberate act of its kind in the principality.

Yermolaiev, a multi-millionaire living in Monaco, has faced sanctions imposed by Kyiv since December 2023 over his alcohol business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea. A motive has not been established. Eric Ciotti, mayor of nearby Nice, wrote on X that the attack was a tragedy for Monaco and expressed support for victims, families and emergency services.

Local officials plan to hold a news briefing on the blast on Tuesday.