"Bataillon Monaco": Luxury yachts and shopping define the lives of controversial Ukrainian oligarchs in the French Riviera

A parcel bomb attack targeting Ukrainian oligarch Vadim Ermolaev outside his Monaco residence has cast a spotlight on the "Bataillon Monaco," an ironic nickname given by Ukrainian media to 84 wealthy Ukrainians who have relocated to the French Riviera since the full-scale invasion began. Ermolaev, 58, one of Ukraine's richest individuals, was seriously injured but is now out of danger.

The "Bataillon Monaco" comprises former pro-Russian opposition members, politicians, industry and media magnates, and millionaires who have established luxurious lives on the Mediterranean coast. Their presence, marked by luxury cars with Ukrainian plates, immense yachts, and opulent residences, has drawn scrutiny, particularly from Ukrainian media questioning their whereabouts during the ongoing war and martial law.

This group's exile to Monaco, located 2,500 kilometers from Kyiv, has become a symbol of perceived detachment from the national mobilization efforts. The incident involving Ermolaev has intensified scrutiny on these exiled elites, prompting investigations into their activities and motivations for residing abroad while their country is at war.

Investigators are reportedly looking into a woman of Ukrainian nationality as the primary suspect in the Monaco explosion. She was allegedly disguised as a man and residing in Germany. The case is being handled by Interpol, highlighting the international dimension of the investigation into the attack on Ermolaev and the broader context of the "Bataillon Monaco."