A London-based associate of Ukrainian oligarch Vadim Ermolaev, identified as Anna Nasobina, lost both her legs in a suspected assassination attempt in Monaco. Nasobina, 46, and her and Ermolaev's 13-year-old son were wounded in an explosion on June 29 at a residential building.
Nasobina is reportedly in serious condition, fighting for her life. Ermolaev, 58, and their son also sustained injuries in the blast. Initial reports incorrectly stated that Ermolaev's wife, also named Anna, was injured. However, Ukrainian sources confirmed she was abroad at the time.
Nasobina, who is the daughter of a former first deputy state prosecutor of the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine, studied law at Dnipropetrovsk National University. She describes herself as London-based and has been a director of a UK company since 2023. She is also a co-founder of Club Éclectique, a literary-arts society with ties to Russian entertainers with pro-Kremlin leanings.
Investigators in France are examining the potential involvement of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in the incident, though it is suggested the blast may have been intended as a warning. Ukrainian police have previously indicated that Ermolaev may have been targeted due to alleged links to a €100 million call center fraud scheme. This network of fraudulent call centers in Dnipro, Ukraine, is suspected of conducting large-scale financial scams across Europe, with the Ermolaev family allegedly playing a significant role.
Further reports suggest the attempted assassination may stem from a failed agreement to divide territory and unpaid debts owed to organized crime figures in Dnipro. Ermolaev has resided in Monaco since 2021, renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 for a Cypriot passport, and was subjected to personal sanctions by Kyiv in December 2023.
French authorities are assisting in the search for the perpetrator. A legal assistant for Ermolaev stated that no legal proceedings have been initiated against him in any jurisdiction to date. There are also claims that Ermolaev had planned to address the European Parliament regarding alleged corruption in Ukraine.