Ukrainian oligarch's wife speaks out and says she is NOT the woman 'whose limbs were blown off in Monaco bomb attack' - as 'police probe tycoon's alleged links to €100m scam'

By ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:10, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 21:24, 30 June 2026 The wife of a Ukrainian oligarch who was targeted in a bomb attack in Monaco has revealed she was not injured in the explosion despite initial reports. The attack left Vadym Yermolaiev, 56, fighting for his life, and reports first suggested that his wife Anna, 56, was also in a critical condition, having had her feet blown off. However, Ukrainian media today reported it was another woman who was injured in the blast and 'had limbs including her legs amputated'. Ms Yermolaiev was in fact in another location at the time of the explosion, according to state media outlet Suspilne. Speaking to the Ukrainian media outlet, she said: 'We are currently in a state of severe stress and are actively cooperating with the investigation and law enforcement agencies.' It is not known who the other woman is, but it is reported that her 13-year-old son was also rushed to the hospital, whose condition was said to be 'stable'.   Ms Yermolaiev is not understood to have a child aged 13, with her youngest child, David, reportedly set to turn 17 this year.  Citing a source close to the case, French newspaper Le Figaro reported that the 13-year-old was thrown nearly 50ft by the force of the explosion, and his mother may have become injured while trying to protect him.  The attack left Vadym Yermolaiev, 56, fighting for his life, and initial reports suggested that his wife Anna, 56, (pictured) was also in a critical condition, having had her feet blown off However, Ukrainian media today reported it was another woman, not Anna (pictured) who was injured in the blast and 'had limbs including her legs amputated'. Pictured: Victim Vadym Yermolaiev - a Ukrainian oligarch - suffered multiple shrapnel wounds after a backpack full of nuts and bolts exploded in the foyer of his apartment block in Monaco, according to local reports The woman is now being treated at a hospital in Nice, Christophe Mirmand, the minister of state for Monaco, told French news broadcaster LCI. Mr Yermolaiev suffered multiple shrapnel wounds after a backpack full of nuts and bolts exploded in the foyer of his apartment block in Monaco, according to local reports.  Ukrainian police sources have claimed that the violent attack is directly linked to a network of fraudulent call centres in Dnipro, Ukraine, allegedly used to carry out large-scale financial scams across Europe. The Yermolaiev family is alleged to have played a significant role in the scheme, with the oligarch's name reportedly at the centre of a sprawling pan-European investigation into clandestine call centres operating out of Ukraine. According to sources, the so-called 'boiler room' operations defrauded thousands of investors in Germany, Estonia and Ukraine of more than €100million (£86million) between 2019 and 2022, through fake cryptocurrency investment schemes. The network also allegedly sold fraudulent divorce advice to unsuspecting victims. Ukrainian law enforcement sources say that French investigators believe the murder attempt may have been orchestrated by members of a criminal network in retaliation. Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported that the attempted assassination stemmed from a failed agreement to divide territory and unpaid debts allegedly owed to organised crime bosses in Dnipro. While Vadym, who is currently subject to sanctions in Ukraine, handled the financial side of the operation, it was his son, Artur, who reportedly ran the network. According to local reports, Artur was arrested by Interpol in Cyprus at the end of 2025 following an Estonian arrest warrant. Shards of glass on a damaged window of a residential building, following an explosion on Monday, in Monaco, June 30 Members of a bomb disposal team operate the day after an alleged attack involving an explosive device in the lobby of a residential building, in Monaco on June 30 Images of the man who targeted them at the iconic Sun Palace flats were captured on CCTV, and he is still at large  He was given a suspended prison sentence and millions of euros in criminal assets were confiscated. Both Yermolaievs deny any wrongdoing, saying all of their business activities are above board. Vadym, who made his fortune in commerce following the collapse of the Soviet Union, has made a huge number of enemies since fleeing his native Ukraine around a decade ago. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky authorised sanctions against him in December 2023, because his drinks business in the occupied Crimea was still doing business with Russia. He produces a 'geographically protected Crimean wine for the Russians', which is still sold in Europe and the US, said an investigating source. Vadym is also a co-owner of Versobank, an Estonian bank which had its licence suspended by the European Central Bank in March 2018 for the 'systematic violation of anti-money laundering legislation'. In recent years, the family has been living in luxury in Monaco, where they have a very high profile. Vadym was known for parking his Ukrainian-registered Bentley outside the Monte Carlo Casino. He also owned a super-yacht flying the Ukrainian flag and owned a high-security villa in nearby Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Vadym has stated that the Ukrainian tax system is 'very unfair', and this prompted him to take Cypriot nationality in 2019. The explosion occurred around 9pm on Monday at the entrance of a residence near the French border. The three victims were 'apparently returning home peacefully' in the early evening, according to surveillance footage, Christophe Mirmand, the minister of state for Monaco said. 'They were caught in the explosion as they crossed the threshold of their apartment building,' he said. 'It appears that the family was specifically targeted,' he emphasised. Earlier reports from Ukraine said the injured woman was Vadym's wife, Anna Yermolaiev, but has since emerged it was a different woman, who authorities have not yet named This photograph shows Monaco's emergency services deployed near the area of the explosion The attack has shocked the elite principality on the Mediterranean Coast. Monaco's Prince Albert II described it as 'an odious act' and said all the country's services were mobilised to ensure security. An aide to France's Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, said police were working 'to find the perpetrator, who has fled'. Monaco is a globally famous tax haven on the French Riviera full of high-worth residents. It prides itself on its crime-free reputation, and attracts billionaire business people and celebrities from all over the world. But there have been numerous corruption scandals on the so-called Rock in recent years, including allegations of money laundering by mafia-style gangs, including ones from Ukraine. Prince Albert, the ruler of Monaco, has pledged to clamp down on corruption, with the help of the French authorities. Despite Monaco's independence, its defence is primarily the responsibility of the government in Paris. Following the bomb blast, Prince Albert described the atrocity as 'obnoxious', adding: 'The Principality of Monaco will remain united and determined in the face of violence and crime. The safety of our community has always been a priority - it will remain so more than ever, whatever the threats.' The comments below have not been moderated. 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