Primary suspect in Monaco bombing found shot dead near Kyiv

Course of the attack and escape

The woman had been sought internationally, among other things, for attempted murder. The background is a bomb attack last Monday. In a bombing attack last week, Vadym Yermolayev, a Ukraine-born oligarch in Monaco, was injured. The explosion injured the Ukraine-born Vadym Yermolayev, his life partner, and his son.

According to the Monaco public prosecutor's office, the alleged perpetrator initially fled the principality on foot into directly neighboring France. She then reportedly traveled by car through other European countries to Germany. The exact background of the case, whose trail also led to Germany, remains unclear. No official statement was initially available.

Background: Sanctions and a Cyprus passport

Yermolayev is a wealthy businessman who acquired Cypriot citizenship in 2019. The government in Kyiv imposed sanctions on him in 2023 because, according to media reports, he had conducted business on the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia. This brought the oligarch into the focus of Ukrainian authorities.

Two further arrests

Two further suspects have also been arrested. One is reportedly an employee of the military intelligence service HUR, and the other is a former employee of law enforcement agencies. Possible links to Ukrainian state structures are thus coming into focus of the investigation. Exactly how the arrested individuals are alleged to have been involved in the attack is not yet publicly known.

The newspaper "Ukrainska Pravda" was the first to report the discovery of the body, citing insiders. Police later confirmed the identity of the deceased as the wanted Ukrainian primary suspect. The location near Kyiv raises questions about the circumstances of the death – in particular, whether the woman took her own life, was killed, or died in some other manner. There is no clear information on this so far.

The attack itself caused a stir in Monaco because the principality is extremely rarely the scene of such acts of violence. Yermolayev has lived in the principality for years, according to his own statements, and conducts business there. The injuries sustained by the oligarch, his life partner, and his son were described as non-life-threatening after the attack. Monaco and France immediately launched investigations following the attack, which were later extended to other European countries.

Open questions

The trail of the alleged perpetrator led through several European capitals. After fleeing Monaco, she is said to have traveled through France and other countries to Germany. Details about her stay in Germany have not been made public. There is also no confirmed information regarding the possible role of a support network during the escape.

With the violent death of the primary suspect, the judiciary has lost a key witness and potential source of information. However, the two further arrests could open up new investigative approaches. In particular, the connection of one suspect to the Ukrainian military intelligence service HUR raises political questions. An official statement from the Ukrainian authorities on these allegations is pending.

The exact background of the case, whose trail also led to Germany, remains unclear. Neither the Monaco public prosecutor's office nor German authorities have made any public statements so far. The investigations are ongoing.