MONACO – A powerful parcel bomb exploded outside a luxury apartment building in the normally ultra-safe Mediterranean tax haven of Monaco on June 29, injuring a prominent Ukrainian-born businessman, his companion and their young son in what authorities are calling a deliberate assassination attempt – the first of its kind in the principality's history.
The blast, which was felt miles away in nearby Nice, France, targeted Vadym Yermolaiev, a wealthy real estate developer and former fixture on Forbes Ukraine's list of the country's richest people. Yermolaiev, his companion Anna Nasobina, and their 13-year-old son were all hospitalized after the improvised explosive device detonated in a backpack left at the building's entrance on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, just steps from the French border.
Nasobina suffered the most severe injuries, reportedly losing both legs, while Yermolaiev sustained burns and shrapnel wounds. The child’s injuries were described as less serious. Monaco’s public prosecutor labeled the attack an "attempted assassination," ruling out terrorism but underscoring the shocking breach of security in one of the world’s most secure enclaves.
Dramatic footage released by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office appears to show the moments leading up to the explosion, captured by a camera that investigators believe the perpetrators set up beforehand to verify their deadly handiwork. The video reportedly shows a suspect, later identified as Ukrainian national Anastasiia Berezovska, in the area before the blast. Berezovska, disguised as a man according to some reports, fled the scene toward France immediately after the detonation.
The suspect’s story took an even darker turn days later. Berezovska’s body was discovered in a forest near Kyiv with gunshot wounds to the head. Ukrainian authorities arrested two men, including a serving officer in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency in connection with her killing. The murky developments have fueled speculation about possible organized crime ties, business rivalries or deeper geopolitical intrigue surrounding Yermolaiev.
Yermolaiev, who renounced his Ukrainian citizenship years ago and holds a Cypriot passport, was sanctioned by Kyiv in 2023 over alleged business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea, claims he has denied. The 58-year-old built his fortune in Dnipro through real estate, agriculture and other ventures before relocating to Monaco.
Prince Albert II of Monaco condemned the attack as a "heinous crime" that sent shockwaves through the affluent community. "This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality," Monaco’s prosecutor said at a press conference.
French and Monegasque authorities launched a cross-border manhunt, with Interpol issuing a red notice for Berezovska before her death. Investigators continue to probe the motive, with possibilities ranging from a "settling of scores" linked to organized crime to other unresolved disputes.
The incident has raised fresh questions about security in Europe’s playground for the ultra-rich and the long shadow of Ukraine’s internal divisions and sanctions amid the ongoing war with Russia. As the investigation unfolds, Monaco, long known for its ironclad safety, is grappling with a new reality where even its gilded streets may not be immune to international vendettas.
