Monaco prosecutor says 'all leads still on the table' as Ermolaev's partner remains critical after blast

Monaco's top prosecutor gave the first formal update in nearly two weeks on the explosive attack that targeted Ukrainian-born Cypriot businessman Vadim Ermolaev, revealing that the prime suspect was found shot dead in Ukraine and that two men, including an active intelligence officer, have been arrested.

The 29 June attack and its victims

The explosion, triggered outside a luxury residential building in Monaco on 29 June, injured three people: Vadim Ermolaev, 58, his partner, and his 13-year-old son. Speaking to reporters on 10 July, Prosecutor General Stéphane Thibault confirmed that all three remain hospitalised. Ermolaev's condition has been improving since shortly after the blast, but he is not yet fit to be questioned by investigators.

His partner suffered very severe injuries and, according to Thibault, "va un peu mieux mais son pronostic vital est toujours engagé" (is a little better but her prognosis remains life-threatening). The couple's son was hurt less seriously than the two adults, though he has not yet been discharged.

The child is still hospitalised. The woman who was gravely wounded is doing a little better, but her life is still in danger.

Thibault added that medical confidentiality prevented him from providing further detail on the victims' exact condition.

The suspect found dead in Ukraine

The Monégasque judiciary had issued an international warrant for Anastassia Berezovska, a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman suspected of planting and detonating the device at the building entrance. On Tuesday 8 July, she was discovered dead on Ukrainian territory with gunshot wounds to the head.

Two other suspects were subsequently detained in Ukraine. Authorities there identified one as a former law enforcement officer and the other as an active employee of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence. Thibault confirmed on 10 July that investigations are proceeding in close coordination with his Ukrainian counterpart and that the formal sharing of evidence with Kyiv is underway.

Ermolaev's background and potential motives

Vadim Ermolaev, originally from Ukraine and now a Cypriot national, has resided in Monaco since at least 2021. He has been under Ukrainian sanctions since December 2023 for commercial activities in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Those sanctions form part of the broader context surrounding the case.

Thibault, however, was explicit that no motive has yet been established. Investigators are still working at the evidence-gathering stage and have not ruled out any scenario. The nature of the explosive device also remains undetermined.

All leads are still on the table and under investigation. The explosive used has not yet been identified, nor have the motive or motives.

Two examining magistrates in Monaco have now been formally assigned to the case, which the prosecutor described as an attempted assassination.

Judicial cooperation and next steps

Monaco is cooperating not only with Ukraine but also with other unnamed countries to obtain material required for the investigation. Thibault spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart on 10 July to advance the mutual legal assistance process. The prosecutor's office has not given a timeline for when Ermolaev might be deemed fit for interview, nor when the next public update will occur.