Ukraine releases footage of Monaco bombing as injured tycoon accuses Kyiv intelligence

The attack

On 29 June 2026 (AP reported 30 June), a parcel bomb detonated at the entrance of a small apartment building in Monaco, just steps from the French border. The blast struck as Ukrainian-born businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner Anna and their 13-year-old son were returning home. All three survived but were rushed to hospitals in Nice, France. The son was treated at Lenval Children's Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, while the two adults were taken to Nice University Hospital in critical condition.

Yermolaiev, 58, is a former Ukrainian citizen who obtained Cypriot nationality and had been living in Monaco since at least 2021. Ukraine sanctioned him in December 2023 over business activities in Russian-annexed Crimea, and he has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship.

The video evidence

On 17 July, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko published a 40-second surveillance recording on Telegram. The footage shows a person in a hat placing a bag at the building's entrance before walking away. A man, a woman and a child then approach from the street, and the explosion occurs, blurring the image.

Kravchenko said the camera had been installed by the suspects themselves to confirm the attack had been carried out. The recording was deleted but specialists from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) restored it. He described the video as one of the key pieces of evidence in the investigation.

Yermolaiev's letter

This week, Yermolaiev's lawyers released a letter addressed to Prince Albert II of Monaco, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the residents of the principality. In it, Yermolaiev directly accused active officers of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the assassination attempt.

This was not a warning. It was a murder attempt. Their objective was to kill all three of us, without distinction of age or sex.

He described the blast's force in graphic detail, saying it tore off metal railings and pulverised the stone steps of the home. Anna lost both legs and faces what Yermolaiev called "irreversible" injuries. Their son is under medical supervision with burns and fractures. Yermolaiev himself remains hospitalised.

Today, my family is fighting to rebuild itself. Anna is suffering the consequences of unimaginable injuries. Our son is under medical surveillance. For my part, I am only beginning to grasp the extent of my condition and what happened.

Unusually, the letter thanks Zelenskyy for his "personal attention" to the case and for unspecified assistance, and also thanks Macron and French authorities for their support and cooperation. Zelenskyy has not publicly commented on the case.

Investigation and suspects

The probe involves investigators from Monaco, France and Ukraine, as well as Interpol. The suspected bomber, 39-year-old Ukrainian Anastasiia Berezovska, was found shot dead in Ukraine a few days after the attack. An SBU officer, Vitalii Zhykovych, confessed to killing her but claimed he acted on his own and without his superiors' knowledge.

A second suspect, Vladyslav Reut, a former police officer and employee of the GUR, was arrested. On 10 July, Reut changed his account and blamed Zhykovych for Berezovska's death. The Monaco prosecutor's office has not commented on the video or the status of the investigation.

What comes next

Yermolaiev's letter urges protection for his family and calls the coming months and years "marked by surgical interventions, care and rehabilitation." The multi-jurisdictional investigation continues, with Ukrainian prosecutors saying urgent investigative actions are underway to gather further evidence. No trial date has been set, and the full motive behind the attack remains unclear.