Monaco, a principality better known for yachts and grand prix than gunfire, is now the scene of a manhunt. Two suspects are on the run after a bomb attack targeting Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Shevchenko, a man with a tangled web of offshore holdings and political connections.
Sources close to the investigation confirm the attack unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday. The device, described by police as a sophisticated explosive, detonated outside Shevchenko's penthouse in the exclusive Monte Carlo district. The explosion shattered windows and damaged several luxury vehicles. Shevchenko was not inside at the time. His security team had moved him to an undisclosed location hours earlier following what their intelligence described as a credible threat.
The suspects, captured on grainy CCTV footage, are described as two men in dark clothing. They fled the scene in a stolen Mercedes, which was later found abandoned in a nearby garage. Police have cordoned off the area and are reviewing further footage from private security cameras. Interpol has been alerted, and border checks are being tightened across the French Riviera.
This is not the first time Shevchenko has been in the crosshairs. His name appears in leaked documents linking him to shell companies in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands. He has faced accusations of laundering funds for former Ukrainian officials, though he has never been charged. His business empire, spanning energy and real estate, has made him a target in the murky world of post-Soviet finance.
Police sources say the attack bears hallmarks of a professional hit. The bomb was not intended to cause mass casualties but to send a message. Shevchenko's rivals include powerful figures in the Ukrainian gas sector, a market known for its cutthroat tactics. There is also speculation that the attack could be linked to sanctions imposed on Shevchenko's associates by the US and EU. The sanctions have frozen assets and severed business ties, leaving some desperate.
A former MI6 officer familiar with the region told me: "This is a warning. The next one won't miss. Shevchenko needs to understand that his time in Monaco's safe haven is over." The principality has long been a refuge for the wealthy, but this attack shows that even here, the tentacles of organised crime and political vendettas reach deep.
The Monaco government has issued a statement vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. But behind the scenes, officials are worried. They know that high-profile attacks damage Monaco's reputation as a secure haven. The local police, a force of just 500, are stretched thin. They are cooperating with French authorities and have requested assistance from Europol.
Shevchenko remains in hiding. His lawyers have declined to comment. The question now is whether this attack will force him to change his lifestyle or whether he will double down. In the world of oligarchs, publicity is a double-edged sword. Those who seek attention often find it in the wrong ways.
The manhunt continues. For now, Monaco's glamorous facade has been cracked. The show of wealth and security that draws the world's elite now feels a little less secure. And somewhere in the shadows, two men with a bomb and a mission are still on the loose.
