Interpol seeks Ukrainian woman in Monaco bombing case

Interpol has issued a Red Notice for a Ukrainian woman suspected of planting a bomb in Monaco that injured three members of a family, including a tycoon reported to have links to Russia. The case has drawn attention because Monaco prosecutors say the attack appeared targeted and may have involved more than one person.

Interpol named the suspect on Friday as Anastasiia Berezovska, 39, according to the notice published by the international police organisation. The notice says Monaco is seeking her for attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent and criminal conspiracy.

Monaco authorities have not publicly identified the three people wounded in Monday’s blast at the entrance of an apartment building. Officials said the victims are members of one family and appeared to have been singled out.

Media reports identified the wounded as Ukrainian construction magnate Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and his son. Yermolaiev has said he gave up Ukrainian citizenship nearly 10 years ago, and he was placed under Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 over alleged ties to Russia.

Morgan Raymond, Monaco’s deputy prosecutor, said Friday that Yermolaiev’s partner remained in critical condition. Prosecutors also referred to two other people as collateral victims who suffered slight injuries in the explosion.

Raymond said investigators believe the device was triggered remotely. He said fragments of the bomb are being examined in France.

According to Raymond, investigators first believed the person who planted the bomb was a heavyset man wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light shorts and a black bucket hat. A wider review of surveillance footage from earlier days, along with witness testimony, led investigators to conclude the suspect was a woman disguised as a man, he said.

The inquiry is also examining whether the suspect had help or was acting for another party, Raymond said. He said the design of the explosive device and the way the attack was carried out suggested the person who planted it was unlikely to have acted alone.

Two men were detained during the investigation, according to Monaco prosecutors. Both were later released.

Investigators also identified a rented vehicle with German licence plates that they say the suspect used in Monaco. Raymond said authorities traced a route from Monaco into France and then through several European countries toward the suspect’s country of residence.

Raymond said the suspect’s last known address was in Germany, where he said judicial cooperation with Monaco is active. German criminal police said they searched the rented apartment and car of a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman as part of the investigation, without naming her.

German police said they secured evidence that will be turned over to Monaco authorities. They also said the wanted woman remains at large.

The bombing unsettled Monaco, a small Mediterranean principality known for its wealthy residents. Prince Albert II called the attack an odious act and said public services had been mobilised to maintain security.

Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures during the war, although those operations have largely been reported in Ukraine or Russia. Western intelligence officials have also said Russia has increased targeted killings since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.