Monaco bombing target: 'The objective was to kill all three of us'

Oligarch Vadim Ermolaev, the target of a June 29 bombing in Monaco, has broken his silence about the attack that left him, his partner, and his 13-year-old son severely injured. In a letter transmitted through his Ukrainian lawyers, Ermolaev described the devastating impact of the explosion that ripped through his building's entrance.

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We know that the perpetrators of the attack saw a woman and a child by my side before triggering the explosion. They acted, their objective was to kill all three of us, without distinction of age or sex.

"We know that the perpetrators of the attack saw a woman and a child by my side before triggering the explosion," Ermolaev stated. "They acted, their objective was to kill all three of us, without distinction of age or sex." He detailed the grave consequences for his partner, Anna, who suffered "extreme and irreversible injuries," and his son, who sustained "burns, fractures, and severe trauma." Ermolaev himself remains in intensive care, facing a "long remission" with future surgeries and rehabilitation.

The investigation has taken a turn with the discovery of the main suspect, Anastasia Berezovskaya, dead near Kyiv on July 6. Ukrainian authorities have since arrested two men in connection with her death, identified as a former law enforcement officer and a member of the GUR, Ukraine's main intelligence directorate. Ermolaev suggested that the operation might extend beyond the direct perpetrators and organizers, potentially implicating GUR officers.

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My partner Anna suffered injuries of extreme gravity, with irreversible consequences. Our son suffered burns, fractures, and severe trauma. I am today hospitalized in intensive care and am only beginning a long remission. For each of us, the months and years to come will be marked by surgical interventions, care, and rehabilitation. Our survival is a miracle.

"The elements currently available also suggest that the operation is not limited to the executors and direct organizers but involves GUR officers, some of whom are reportedly close to the current or past leadership of the service," Ermolaev wrote, acknowledging the gravity of his accusations. Ukrainian police are actively working to identify all those involved in the assassination attempt.

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The elements currently available also suggest that the operation is not limited to the executors and direct organizers but involves GUR officers, some of whom are reportedly close to the current or past leadership of the service.