Monaco authorities arrested and subsequently released a foreign national on Wednesday as they continue to investigate a targeted explosion that injured a Ukrainian businessman with ties to Russia and two other individuals. The principality’s prosecutor general stated the person was detained in the morning and held for further checks before being released in the afternoon, declining to provide additional details about the individual or the reasons for their suspicion.
The explosion occurred late Monday at the entrance of an apartment building in Monaco. While officials have not officially identified the injured parties, they confirmed the victims were a family and appeared to have been specifically targeted. Media reports have identified the injured businessman as Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev, who reportedly renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago and was placed on Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 due to alleged ties to Russia. A woman and a child were also reported to be among the injured.
Monaco authorities have described the blast as an attempted assassination. Investigators are receiving assistance from authorities in neighboring France. The injured child has been interviewed in France, but the other two victims are reportedly not yet in a condition to be questioned.