Explosion in Monaco investigated as attempted murder, not a terrorist act - prosecutor

The Monaco police have launched an investigation into an attempted murder following an explosion in the principality on Monday that injured three people, including, reportedly, a Ukrainian tycoon, but do not classify it as a terrorist act, Monaco's chief prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said on Tuesday, reports UNN citing AP.

Based on the information I have, this attack cannot be classified as terrorist

Details

The suspect who set the explosive device acted alone and remains at large, prosecutor Stéphane Thibault told reporters. The motive remains unclear.

As Nice-Matin indicates, a preliminary investigation is being conducted on charges of "attempted murder and placing explosive substances or devices in a public place."

One of the three injured is "a woman in life-threatening condition," the prosecutor said. Another is a man whose condition is no longer life-threatening, and a child whose life is not in danger, he said. He did not name them.

The suspect in the attack fled to neighboring France, authorities said.

Suspect in Monaco explosion fled to France - report30.06.26, 10:21 • 4420 views

According to media reports, among the injured was Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev.

The injured woman is being treated at a hospital in Nice, Monaco's Minister of State Christophe Mirmand told French news channel LCI on Tuesday. Her partner and a 13-year-old child sustained less serious injuries but remain hospitalized, he added.

The explosion occurred around 9:00 p.m. on Monday near the entrance to a residential building close to the French border.

Law enforcement officers were deployed on Tuesday morning in Monaco and surrounding areas. French and Monégasque authorities are searching for an unidentified suspect, whose motive is under investigation, law enforcement said.

According to surveillance camera footage, the three victims were "apparently peacefully returning home" early in the evening, Mirmand said. "They were caught in the explosion as they crossed the threshold of their apartment building," he said.

The victims are "ordinary" residents of Monaco, but authorities do not yet know if the family had been threatened in the past, Mirmand said.

"It appears that the family was specifically targeted," he emphasized, noting that the suspected perpetrator "walked around the area several times, waiting for the victims," according to surveillance footage. "Minutes before the explosion, he was apparently waiting for the victims."

When asked if anything more is known about the type of explosive used, Stéphane Thibault indicated, as Nice-Matin writes, that this is "under investigation."

A representative of the French national police said that the suspect is being sought.

Explosion in Monaco occurred due to a parcel bomb - report30.06.26, 11:20 • 3668 views