The spouse of a wealthy individual from Ukraine, who was previously thought to have suffered severe injuries in a bombing incident in Monaco, has clarified that she was not present during the explosion that critically injured her husband.
Vadym Yermolaiev, aged 56, a businessman, was swiftly taken to a hospital in Nice, France, following a detonation of a bomb at a residential compound in Monaco earlier this week. He remains in critical condition alongside two other individuals. Initially, it was reported that his wife, Anna Ermolaeva, also 56, was among the casualties requiring urgent medical attention after losing both her legs in the blast, suspected to be a parcel bomb linked to an alleged murder plot.
However, it has now been confirmed that Ms. Ermolaeva was unharmed during the Monaco attack as she was elsewhere at the time of the incident around 9pm local time (7pm GMT).
Speaking to Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, she verified that she was not at the site of the explosion but mentioned being under considerable stress. She stated, “We are currently in a state of severe stress and are actively cooperating with the investigation and law enforcement agencies.”
The individual injured in the attack, whose identity has not been disclosed, underwent amputation of limbs, including legs, as reported by the media outlet. Additionally, her 13-year-old son sustained injuries after being thrown nearly 50 feet but is now in a stable condition following the incident.
Contrary to earlier reports, Mrs. Yermolaiev’s son is not 13 years old but is expected to turn 17 this year. The incident apparently occurred as residents were peacefully returning home, and the bomb, containing explosives, nuts, and bolts, was triggered in the entrance of the building.
Christophe Mirmand, Monaco’s minister of state, stated in an update that the group was harmed by the explosion as they entered their apartment building. He added, “It seems that the family was deliberately targeted.”
Following the bomber’s alleged escape, French authorities have initiated a significant manhunt, with a suspect captured on CCTV fleeing towards Beausoleil, a French municipality near the border with Italy. French media reported that the video footage, recorded just before the attack, showed an individual dropping a backpack in the lobby where the explosion occurred.
Stephane Thibault, Monaco’s public prosecutor, indicated that the explosion is being treated as an “attempted murder” and is not being classified as a terrorist act.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear at this point, with Mr. Yermolaiev being the most prominent individual injured. The Ukrainian business magnate, who relinquished his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 to become a Cypriot national, was ranked as the 39th wealthiest person in Ukraine in 2020, with an estimated fortune of £173.8 million.
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