A manhunt is underway in southern France after a parcel bomb exploded at a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening, injuring wealthy Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev and two others. Two of the injured are in a critical condition in hospital in the French city of Nice, according to Monaco public prosecutor Stéphane Thibault. He added that a woman was the most seriously hurt.

The incident, which occurred shortly before 9 PM local time near the border with France, is being treated as attempted murder, not terrorism, Thibault stated. Ukraine's foreign ministry confirmed its embassy in France is liaising with Monaco's authorities to officially identify those injured.

The explosive device, found in the lobby of an apartment building on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, reportedly contained bolts and pellets. Video surveillance footage showed a man dropping a backpack in the building's lobby shortly before the blast. Authorities are searching for a single suspect who appeared to have fled towards the French commune of Beausoleil on foot.

Christophe Mirmand, the head of Monaco's government, described the incident as unprecedented for the principality. Monaco's Prince Albert II called the event a "heinous crime" and a "shock to the entire Monaco community." Four other individuals received treatment from emergency services, one for shock and three for cuts sustained from debris.

Vadym Yermolaiev, 58, is a prominent real estate developer from Dnipro, Ukraine. He renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019 and is now a Cypriot citizen. Yermolaiev has significant business interests in the wine and alcohol sector in Russian-annexed Crimea and has been subject to sanctions imposed by the Ukrainian government since 2023.

French newspaper Le Figaro, citing anonymous sources, reported that the three individuals most seriously injured are Yermolaiev, his partner, and their 13-year-old son. The blast caused damage to the front of the residential building, with nearby shop windows also shattered by the explosion.

Harri Richie, a resident living approximately 100 meters from the targeted building, described hearing an "unbelievably loud explosion" from an underground car park. Upon reaching her 11th-floor apartment, she witnessed emergency services assisting two severely injured individuals from the building.

Emergency services arrived within five minutes of the explosion, and a helicopter remained overhead throughout the night. The incident has prompted a significant police and emergency personnel response, with over 100 officers deployed to the scene. The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue their search for the suspect in France.