Package Bomb in Monaco Wounds Ukrainian Oligarch

A package bomb exploded outside a building in Monaco on Monday night, leaving three people seriously injured, including a Ukrainian oligarch, local media report. The victims are a man and a woman between 50 and 60 years old, and a teenager, according to Lionel Beffre, an advisor to Monaco’s Interior Minister. The teenager was taken to Lenval hospital, while the two adults were transported to a hospital in nearby Nice, France. Monaco Matin and French TV channel BFM later reported, citing investigative sources, that one of the injured is Vadim Ermolaev, a 58-year-old Ukrainian businessman and investor who holds one of the largest fortunes in his country. Police say an unknown person left a backpack at the entrance of a building on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla just before 9:00 p.m. local time. The backpack exploded minutes later, hitting a couple, who are in critical condition, and the teenager, who is less severely injured. Four other people also received medical attention. Ermolaev, a resident of Monaco, made his fortune in businesses in eastern Ukraine and in Crimea after Russia occupied the peninsula in 2014. Ukrainian authorities have accused him of having ties to Moscow. Monaco’s Prince Albert called the explosion “a shock” for the country. “The security of our community has always been a priority; it will remain so, more than ever, whatever the threats,” he said. He confirmed that all state services are working “in close cooperation with French authorities” to investigate the attack. Monaco, a small and wealthy Mediterranean principality, has long been a refuge for millionaires due to its tax policies and high security, with cameras on nearly every street and a constant police presence.