Vadym Iermolaiev has spoken publicly for the first time since the bomb attack that seriously injured him, his partner and their teenage son in Monaco, describing the explosion outside their home as “an attempted murder” and calling for “the truth, protection and justice”.
The Ukrainian businessman released an open letter on Tuesday through his long-time legal advisers, the Ukrainian law firm Dynasty Law & Investment, which said it has represented the Iermolaiev family for many years. Addressed to Prince Albert II of Monaco, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the residents of Monaco and the media, the statement was issued, he said, because his medical condition prevents him from speaking publicly.
Recalling the attack of 29th June, Iermolaiev says an explosive device detonated outside the entrance to his family’s Monaco residence with the intention of killing him, his partner Anna and their 13-year-old son.
“This was not a warning. It was an attempted murder,” he says.
He writes that Anna suffered “extremely severe injuries with irreversible consequences”, while their son sustained burns, fractures and severe trauma. Iermolaiev says he remains in intensive care and faces a lengthy recovery. “Our survival was nothing short of a miracle,” he says.
According to Iermolaiev, the force of the blast tore away metal railings and shattered the stone steps outside the family’s home. He also alleges that those responsible detonated the device despite seeing that a woman and child were standing beside him.
“We know that those responsible for the attack saw a woman and a child standing beside me before detonating the explosion. They acted with the intention of killing all three of us, without regard for age or gender,” he writes.
The letter comes one week after the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announced that a serving officer of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) had confessed to murdering Anastasiia Berezovska, the woman suspected of carrying out the Monaco bombing. Ukrainian and Monaco prosecutors said investigators are continuing to establish who ordered the attempted murder and whether others were involved.
Referring to information communicated to him during the investigation, Iermolaiev says he believes serving HUR officers were involved in the attempted assassination and that the operation may have extended beyond those who carried it out directly.
“I fully appreciate the seriousness of these allegations. I am making them public because I believe they must be the subject of a complete, independent and transparent investigation,” he says.
He argues that, if those allegations are substantiated, the implications extend far beyond his family’s case.
“If serving members of an intelligence service use their positions, their resources or their networks to organise the attempted murder of a family on European soil, then this is no longer simply a crime against my family. It is a matter of international security and trust in public institutions,” he says.
At the same time, Iermolaiev stresses that his criticism is directed at individuals rather than Ukraine itself.
“This statement is directed neither against Ukraine nor against the Ukrainian people,” he writes, adding: “Ukraine depends on the trust of its allies. No institution, no intelligence service and no public official can be placed above the law.”
Iermolaiev also thanks Prince Albert II, Monaco’s emergency services, investigators and medical teams, as well as President Emmanuel Macron and the French authorities, for their support following the attack. He also expresses gratitude to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying his personal attention to the case had been significant to his family.
The businessman says he and his legal team will continue cooperating with authorities in Monaco, France and Ukraine while calling for protection for his family, witnesses, his lawyers and everyone involved in the investigation until those responsible — including those who ordered the attack — are identified and brought to justice.
Reflecting on the long recovery still ahead, he writes: “Today, my family is fighting to rebuild our lives… We ask for only three things: the truth, protection and justice.
See also:
Ukrainian intelligence officer confesses to killing Monaco bomb suspect
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