A parcel bomb explosion wounded sanctioned Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev and two other individuals in a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening, marking an unprecedented security breach in the principality.
The blast occurred around 9 p. m.
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near the French border. A couple in their 50s or 60s suffered life-threatening injuries.
A 13-year-old teenager accompanying them sustained minor injuries.
Public prosecutor Stephane Thibault stated that a suspect left a package in the lobby shortly before fleeing the scene.
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Prince Albert II described the attack as a "heinous crime" and expressed deep concern over its unusual nature within the peaceful territory.
He added that it was "a shock to the entire Monegasque community."
An aide to France's interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said authorities are working to find the perpetrator, who has fled.
French authorities are actively collaborating with local law enforcement to track down the suspect who crossed into neighboring territory.
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The Monaco government confirmed on X that a "parcel bomb" was used in the residential lobby.
Video surveillance showed a suspect fleeing towards the municipality of Beausoleil in France.
Monaco's minister of state, Christophe Mirmand, said the attack was "very likely related" to the victims.
He noted that the injured teenager was connected to the adult couple, who suffered severe injuries from an explosive device containing bolts and buckshot.
"This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality," Mirmand added.
Emergency medical personnel treated four other bystanders for shock and minor cuts from shattered window glass near the blast site.
Mirmand said authorities are working to "determine if others might be facing specific threats."
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The prosecutor is scheduled to deliver an updated news briefing regarding the ongoing investigation on Tuesday.
