Main female suspect identified after explosion in Monaco – international arrest warrant issued

Monaco – 03.07.2026: After the explosion in a residential building in the Principality of Monaco, in which three people were injured, authorities have identified a main female suspect and launched an international manhunt. The public prosecutor’s office confirmed that an arrest warrant has been issued and that a worldwide notice has been requested via Interpol. Investigations indicate a deliberately planned act that appears to have been directed at a specific individual.

The detonation occurred on June 29 in the entrance area of a multi-family building. According to current findings, it was an improvised explosive device that is said to have been placed in the stairwell shortly before the explosion. Three residents were injured. Media report that among those affected was businessman Vadim Ermolaev, who is from Ukraine and has lived in Monaco for years. Authorities did not make official statements about his identity.

According to the prosecutor’s office, analysis of video recordings and several witness statements led to the identification of the alleged female perpetrator. Surveillance cameras are said to show a person wearing a dark head covering who was in the vicinity of the building shortly before the detonation and deposited an object. Investigators, citing the ongoing proceedings, did not provide specific information on motive, masterminds or a possible network.

Cooperation between Monegasque and French authorities is closely coordinated, official statements say. Traces also lead to neighboring communities on the Cote d’Azur. The injured were taken for treatment to hospitals in the region, including a woman to Nice. The government of the Principality stated that there is currently no indication of an acute threat to the general population; nevertheless, security services are monitoring sensitive locations.

With the international arrest warrant and the requested Interpol notice, the arrest of the suspect is intended to be facilitated outside the Principality as well. Such measures are used in cases of serious violent or explosive offenses when flight abroad cannot be ruled out. Investigators are also examining whether the preparation of the act points to local helpers or contacts abroad.

The public prosecutor’s office is calling on people who made observations around the affected building on the evening of the incident to contact the Monaco police or the responsible services in France. Information about the construction of the explosive device, escape routes used or vehicles noticed can be crucial for forensic analysis and cross-border investigations.