Monaco parcel bombing: Woman disguised as a man is ‘prime suspect’, Interpol issues Red Notice

This screenshot of the Interpol webpage shows a Red Notice for Anastasiia Berezovska, a suspect in the Monaco bombing that reportedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with links to Russia. (Interpol via AP)

According to Monaco’s deputy prosecutor, Morgan Raymond, the suspect had been living in Germany. Given the complexity of the explosive device and the sophisticated nature of the attack, investigators believe it is likely she did not act alone.

German police said, “Evidence was secured which will be handed over to Monaco authorities,” adding that the wanted woman is still on the run. Judicial sources said she was later spotted in Frankfurt.

How the attack unfolded

Raymond said the attacker entered a small apartment building between Boulevard d’Italie and Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, just metres from the French border, on Monday evening and left a package in the entrance hall.

Shortly after, at about 9 PM local time, the explosive device detonated as three residents, a couple and their 13-year-old child, entered the building.

The bomb is suspected to have been triggered remotely.

The suspect is believed to have then crossed into France on foot before fleeing in a car rented in Germany, travelling through several European countries, including Italy.

The attacker was initially believed to be a heavily built man wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light-coloured shorts and a black bucket hat. However, CCTV footage and witness testimony later led investigators to conclude that the suspect was a woman disguised as a man.

Photographs released with the Interpol red notice show a woman wearing a white striped T-shirt. In one image, she is seen holding what appears to be an electronic device with a cable in her left hand.

Victims’ condition

The victims were identified by police as Vadym Iermolaiev, his wife and their 13-year-old child. The family are regular Monaco residents.

Iermolaiev and his wife were taken to hospital with serious injuries, while the child was also wounded.

The child was admitted to Lenval Children’s Hospital in Nice in a non-critical condition, while the two adults were taken to Nice University Hospital. Hospital authorities said the man’s condition had improved, but the woman’s remained critical. French media reported that surgeons amputated both her legs.

Investigation underway

Prosecutors in Monaco have opened an attempted murder investigation into the explosion but are not treating it as terrorism. A parallel “mirror” investigation has also been launched in France, with the motive still unclear.

Two people arrested earlier this week in Monaco were later released after investigators found no evidence linking them to the attack, Raymond said.

Prince Albert II of Monaco condemned the bombing as “an odious act” and said all of the principality’s security services had been mobilised.

Photographs published online showed the entrance of the luxury apartment building damaged by the blast, while CCTV footage captured the suspect fleeing towards the French border shortly after the explosion.

Who is Vadym Iermolaiev?

Iermolaiev, 58, is a wealthy businessman originally from Ukraine. He is now a Cypriot national. He has been living in Monaco since at least 2021.

He has been under Ukrainian sanctions since December 2023 over business activities in Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv alleges he operated an alcohol business there and continued paying taxes to Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Ukrainian edition of Forbes estimated his fortune at $220 million in 2021.