Who is Vadym Yermolayev? Ukrainian construction tycoon is believed to be the target of the Monaco bombing

The main target of the assassination attempt in Monaco was Ukrainian tycoon Vadym Yermolayev, who is said to have ties to Russia, whose main suspect is a 39-year-old woman from Ukraine. Interpol named Anastasia Berezovsky as a suspect in a Red Notice published on its website, which called for her arrest.

According to a report by The Guardian, Vadym Yermolayev, his wife and their 13-year-old child appear to have been specifically targeted in Monday’s blast, Monaco authorities said.

French authorities said Yermolayev and his wife were admitted to hospital with “serious injuries”, while their child was also injured in the blast.

One of the victims is still in critical condition, prosecutors said, citing two other “collateral victims” who suffered minor injuries in the attack, the AP reported.

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Who is Vadym Yermolayev?

Vadym Yermolaiev, a Ukrainian construction magnate, is the founder of Alef Trade and Industrial Corporation.

According to The Guardian, Yermolayev is also one of the most influential business tycoons and developers in the region and was listed on Forbes magazine’s list of the 100 richest Ukrainians.

His net worth was estimated at $823 million, which according to media reports ranks him among the 15 richest Ukrainians.

In 2019, he reportedly renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and opted for Cypriot nationality. Yermolayev was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russian firms that operated in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, the report said.

Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures throughout the war, although these attacks were largely confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

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About the Monaco bombing suspect

The Interpol notice states that the suspect, Anastasija Berezovska, has a tattoo, possibly of a snake, on her right arm from shoulder to elbow. It says she was born in Ukraine, has dark hair and speaks German.

Monaco authorities are seeking her arrest for attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent and criminal conspiracy.

This screenshot of Interpol’s website shows a red notice for Anastasia Berezovsky, the suspect in the Monaco bombing that allegedly targeted a Ukrainian tycoon with ties to Russia. (Interpol via AP)(Interpol via AP)

Morgan Raymond, deputy prosecutor in Monaco, said the bomb was detonated remotely by remote control. The remains of the bomb are being analyzed in France, he said.

He added that the suspect was initially identified as a stocky person, of male appearance, wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light-colored shorts and a black hat. A wider review of CCTV footage from the previous days and the testimony of a witness redirected the investigation to the woman disguised as a man.

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Eric Arella, Monaco’s director of public security, held up copies of the requested Interpol notice at a press conference with the prosecutor. They included two photos of a woman in a white T-shirt with dark stripes, one of them on the street, holding what appears to be some kind of electronic device in her left hand, pulled by a cable.

The judicial investigation also focused on whether the suspect had an accomplice or acted on behalf of someone else

“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi suggest that the person who planted the device was not acting alone,” Raymond said.

Investigators also identified a rental vehicle with German license plates that the suspect used in Monaco. The suspect’s escape route was traced, including a trip from France to Italy and then through several European countries to her country of residence.

Raymond said her last known address was in Germany, “a country with which judicial cooperation is particularly active”.