Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, his mistress Anna Nasobina, and their 13-year-old son were seriously injured in a meticulously planned bomb attack outside their Monaco apartment building on Monday evening. The 58-year-old tycoon and Nasobina, 46, sustained severe injuries after a backpack filled with nuts and bolts detonated as they returned home.
Monegasque police, with French assistance, have launched a manhunt for a suspect seen fleeing the scene on CCTV. Security sources indicate the attack was deliberately targeted and required intimate knowledge of Yermolaiev's routine, suggesting reconnaissance of his daily movements.
Nasobina reportedly had both her legs amputated following the blast, while Yermolaiev, known as a wine tycoon with an estimated fortune of $225 million, suffered multiple shrapnel wounds. Their son was also hospitalized after being thrown by the force of the explosion.
Investigators are treating the incident as attempted murder, not terrorism. Ukrainian police have previously suggested Yermolaiev might have been targeted due to alleged links to a €100 million call center fraud scheme operating in Dnipro, Ukraine. Both Yermolaiev and Nasobina are from Dnipro, and Ukrainian media reports suggest the attack could be connected to organized crime bosses in the region over alleged unpaid debts and disputes over dividing territory.
Yermolaiev, who made his fortune after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has faced accusations of money laundering and criminality, which he denies. His legal assistant in Monaco stated that no legal proceedings have been initiated against him in any jurisdiction. Yermolaiev moved to Monaco in 2021 after renouncing his Ukrainian citizenship and obtaining a Cypriot passport.
In December 2023, Kyiv imposed personal sanctions on Yermolaiev, accusing him of selling wine in Russian-occupied Crimea and freezing his assets. He has denied holding assets in Crimea or cooperating with Russia.
French media has reported that investigators are examining potential involvement by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), and also reported claims that Yermolaiev planned to speak at the European Parliament about alleged corruption in Ukraine. The attack occurred in an apartment block where all six flats were reportedly empty at the time. The incident is being closely watched given the ongoing shadow war of assassinations between Russia and Ukraine.