Monaco bombing treated as attempted assassination, prosecutors say

Monaco prosecutors are treating a blast that injured three members of the same family as an attempted assassination, not a terror attack, as police continue a cross-border manhunt for the suspect.

The explosion happened on Monday evening, June 29, at the entrance of a residential building in Monaco. The victims were Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, his wife and their child.

AP reported that the woman remained in critical condition in hospital in France, while the man and child were less seriously injured.

Surveillance footage reportedly shows a suspect leaving a bag or backpack at the scene before fleeing on foot toward France. Monaco officials have said the family appeared to have been specifically targeted.

What prosecutors say

Monaco prosecutors have opened an attempted murder investigation, and later reporting said prosecutors were describing the case as an attempted assassination rather than terrorism.

The distinction matters because it changes the investigative and legal path. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive.

Cross-border hunt

The suspect remains at large, and French authorities are involved because the person fled toward the border. Investigators are continuing to examine the device, the motive and any wider links behind the attack.

Monaco Minister of State Christophe Mirmand called the blast unprecedented in the principality. Prince Albert II also condemned the attack, according to reported coverage.

Monaco is known for unusually low violent-crime rates, which has sharpened attention on the case and on the fact that it appears to have been targeted.

Questions remain over why the family was chosen, who carried out the attack and whether French or other agencies will take a larger role in the probe.