Prince Albert II of Monaco condemned what he described as a “criminal explosion,” calling it “a shock for the entire Monégasque community,” and praised emergency services for their response.
But Monégasque authorities declined to offer possible motives for the bombing. “I believe we must be cautious about the legal classification of the incident,” Minister of State Christophe Mirmand told POLITICO. He added that two victims were in critical condition and a third had suffered serious injuries.
Mirmand said Monaco had “put in place all protective measures” to raise vigilance across the principality’s services. He added that officials had not determined the victims’ identities or nationalities, and said he was unaware of “any specific threats” against Ukrainians.
The Monégasque government described the blast in a post on X as a “violent explosion linked to a booby-trapped package” that occurred near Place des Moulins shortly before 9 p.m. The area was immediately cordoned off as police opened a judicial investigation.
According to Monaco Public Security, cited by BFM Nice, surveillance cameras captured a man leaving a backpack at the foot of the residential building before walking away moments before the explosion.
Authorities later tracked a suspect fleeing toward the neighboring French town of Beausoleil, prompting a joint investigation with French authorities. Eighty-four police officers and 50 firefighters from Monaco and France were deployed, while forensic teams remained at the scene late into the evening.
Monaco’s attorney general is expected to present the first findings of the investigation on Tuesday, including the legal classification of the attack.