Bomber Who Targeted Ukrainian Tycoon In Monaco Identified, Manhunt Continues

 Update: Earlier yesterday, Monaco authorities stated that a person was taken into custody - then released - in the probe of the blast that reportedly hurt Ukrainian tycoon.

However, a few hours later, prosecutors confirmed that they had identified the suspect in the bombing.

*  *  *

As Chris Summers reported earlier via The Epoch Times, a manhunt is underway for a bomber after a Ukrainian businessman - who was sanctioned by Kyiv for alleged ties to Russia - and two other people were seriously injured in an explosion in the foyer of an upmarket apartment building in Monaco.

Investigators examine the scene of a bombing—which injured three people—in Monaco on June 30, 2026. Philippe Magoni/AP

French media has identified Vadym Iermolaiev, a construction tycoon from Dnipro in central Ukraine, his wife, and his 13-year-old son as being the victims of the explosion, which took place on the evening of June 29.

Iermolaiev - who had renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and obtained a Cyprus passport - was sanctioned by Kyiv in June 2024 for allegedly selling vodka in Russian-occupied Crimea.

In a June 29 X post, the Monaco government said, "Tonight, shortly before 9 p.m., a violent explosion linked to a booby-trapped package was heard in the Principality not far from Place des Moulins."

"A suspect was spotted by the video surveillance system fleeing toward the municipality of Beausoleil on French territory," it added.

Prosecutor Stephane Thibault said on June 30 that the Monaco police had opened an attempted murder investigation, adding that it was not being treated as terrorism.

"In coordination with the French authorities, we are pursuing efforts to identify and apprehend him. I hope that will happen quickly, given the resources we are deploying," Thibault said.

Thibault said the female victim was in a life-threatening condition.

Monaco's ruler, Prince Albert II, described the bombing as "an odious act" and said the country had mobilized all its services to ensure security.

Christophe Mirmand, minister of state for Monaco, said the victims were "returning home peacefully" when the bomb exploded, citing surveillance footage.

"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 said surveillance footage suggested the suspect "had walked around the area several times while waiting for the victims."

'Unverified Allegations' Rejected

A public relations company, the Silver Eye Communications Agency, released a statement to Monaco Life in which it confirmed Iermolaiev was targeted but rejected media outlets' characterization of him as an "oligarch" and "unverified allegations" printed in numerous European newspapers.

"The use of an explosive device in an attempt on a person's life is a barbaric act that has no place in any civilized society," Silver Eye said.

"The fact that Mr. Iermolaiev's child was also injured makes this crime particularly shocking.

"Mr. Vadym Iermolaiev is not an oligarch. He has never held political office, never controlled strategic sectors of the Ukrainian economy, never enjoyed a monopoly in any industry and has never been part of Ukraine's political establishment."

Monaco is a tiny principality on the Mediterranean coast with a population of only 38,000 - many of whom are wealthy foreign nationals attracted by its minimal taxes. The country is completely surrounded by France, which also defends it militarily under the terms of a 2002 treaty.

The Monaco government said two adults and a child were taken to a hospital in the nearby French city of Nice.

Silvano Ippolito, a neighbor who lives opposite the scene of the explosion in Place des Moulins, said he saw a young boy on the ground and immediately called his wife, a doctor, who treated the boy’s badly injured mother.

“She intervened very quickly, before the emergency services arrived, to apply tourniquets and perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as the woman was losing consciousness,” Ippolito said.

Suspect Caught On Camera

A photograph of the suspect, published by French media, shows a man in a black jacket, light-colored pants, and white shoes running along while trying to conceal his face with a black bucket hat.

Iermolaiev founded the Alef Group, a conglomerate involved in commercial real estate, manufacturing, and agriculture.

He was heavily involved in reshaping downtown Dnipro before the war with Russia began in 2022.

In an interview with Forbes Ukraine, Iermolaiev said he had renounced his Ukrainian citizenship and became a Cypriot citizen in 2017. Cyprus is a European Union member, allowing him to live in France or Monaco.

In April, Iermolaiev's son Artur, 35, pleaded guilty in Estonia to fraud charges in relation to a 100 million euro ($114 million) phone call scam, and was given a suspended jail sentence, and ordered to pay an 8.5 million euro ($9.7 million) fine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not commented on the incident in Monaco.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Paris, which is also responsible for Monaco, was liaising with the authorities in Monte Carlo, the capital of Monaco.

A view of the residential building where an explosive device seriously injured Vadym Iermolaiev, his wife, and his son, in Monaco, on June 30, 2026. Philippe Magoni/AP

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/manhunt-underway-bomber-who-targeted-ukrainian-tycoon-monaco

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/what-england-can-teach-us-about-democratic-socialism

'China: 'Unimpeded passage' in Hormuz needed'

 China's Foreign Minister spokesperson Guo Jiakun urged the "safe and unimpeded passage" of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, saying restoring normal transit through the waterway "serves the interests of all parties."

“A proper settlement is needed to address disruption at the Strait of Hormuz, and the shared concerns in the international community need a proper response,” Guo added at a regular press briefing.

The remarks came amid growing discussions over the possibility of vessels paying service fees to Iran and Oman to transit the strategic waterway.

https://breakingthenews.net/Article/China:-'Unimpeded-passage'-in-Hormuz-needed/66628732

How a Major Grocery Store Chain Can Dramatically Lower the Cost of Food

 

In June, grocery giant Aldi opened a store just off of Times Square in Manhattan. It's the company's first location in Midtown and, according to their US Chief Commercial Officer Scott Patton, Aldi has to orchestrate a "logistical symphony" to get groceries into the middle of one of the busiest places in America. For instance, they use shorter trucks to navigate the tight corners of New York City streets. On this episode, we speak with Patton about what it took to open this specific Aldi and why they chose a busy tourist location like Times Square. He also explains how the company — famous for its low prices — is able to sell even wagyu ground beef at a consumer-friendly price point, how the mostly private-label grocer thinks through which name brands to incorporate into their stock, Aldi's cult-favorite "Aisle of Shame," a short history of barcode innovation, and how GLP-1s are changing consumer habits.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-07-03/aldi-opens-new-grocery-store-near-times-square-in-manhattan

Ukraine Plans To Hyper-Innovate Humanoid Robot Soldiers

 At the start of February, we pointed out that "humanoid warfare nears" and suspected these war bots were headed for Ukraine for testing. 

That hunch was confirmed by early March, after a TIME Magazine article reported that Foundation Robotics, a U.S.-based startup developing humanoid robots for industrial and military applications, had recently sent two Phantom MK1 robots to Ukraine for testing. 

Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation... 

The modern battlefield across western Eurasia has become the world's AI weapons lab, where drones, autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and ground bots are being stress-tested in real time. 

For any 'war unicorn' startup trying to validate AI-enabled killing machines, Ukraine has become the proving ground, and soldiers on the front lines will quickly tell these startups whether their products work or not - that's the part of hyperinnovation that people aren't seeing yet, but it is becoming visible as low-cost AI killing systems begin to spread across the world. 

Last month, we were the first to debut a new video showing the Phantom MK1 robot operating a mobile light mortar system during a live-fire training exercise in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now several Ukrainian news outlets, including United24 Media, say that Ukraine plans to launch a grant competition to develop humanoid robots for military use, part of a broader push to automate the front line and reduce battlefield risk for its troops.

Here's more from the report:

Ukraine will launch a grant competition focused on developing humanoid robots for the needs of the Defense Forces, Brave1 head Andrii Hrytseniuk said during the Brave1 Advantage event, attended by a Militarnyi correspondent on July 2.

The main goal of the initiative is to robotize as much of the first line of contact as possible and reduce risks for Ukrainian service members.

According to Hrytseniuk, the project follows a wider global trend, as humanoid robotics is rapidly developing in the United States and China.

At the initial stage, Ukrainian developers are expected to focus on simpler platforms that can gradually receive more advanced functions.

Unlike the global civilian humanoid robot market, Ukraine's program will focus strictly on defense needs and military use cases.

Meanwhile, CNBC finally caught up in the reporting ... 

With Phantom MK1 robots reportedly making their debut in Ukraine earlier this year, Foundation could be emerging as one of the leading humanoid robotics players for the modern battlefield among Western militaries.

https://www.zerohedge.com/military/ukraine-plans-grant-competition-hyper-innovate-humanoid-robots

Feds, LAPD Announce Major Human Trafficking Sting In LA

 by Evgenia Filimianova via The Epoch Times,

Federal authorities have arrested 10 people in a major human trafficking investigation, with prosecutors saying the individuals targeted children and adults along South Los Angeles' Figueroa Corridor, marking the second large federal operation in the area in less than a year.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli speaks as Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell (R) and Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Los Angeles Field Division, look on at a press conference announcing an arrest in the Palisades Fire investigation in Los Angeles on Oct. 8, 2025. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, alongside Homeland Security Investigations, the Los Angeles Police Department, and IRS Criminal Investigation, announced the arrests on July 1.

A 65-count superseding federal indictment, returned June 25 and unsealed July 1, alleges that members and associates of the Hoover Criminal Gang (HCG) controlled much of the sex trafficking and prostitution activity along the Figueroa Corridor between February 2021 and June 2026.

Prosecutors said the indictment identifies 51 alleged victims.

Nine defendants were arrested on July 1, while another defendant was taken into custody on June 29.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the arrests were intended to disrupt one of the city's most persistent trafficking operations.

"Sex trafficking of young women and children ranks among the worst criminal offenses our office prosecutes - truly the lowest of the low," he said.

Essayli added that officials hope the arrests will "break the cycle of crime and abuse in one of L.A.'s most notorious human trafficking corridors."

Gang Members Charged

Federal prosecutors said six newly charged defendants are alleged members or associates of the HCG. They face charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking of minors, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, drug trafficking conspiracy, and money laundering.

The indictment also charges Mukeshkumar Rambhai Ahir, 45, the manager of the Stadium Inn & Spas motel in South Los Angeles, with financially benefiting from the alleged trafficking operation.

Prosecutors allege that between September 2024 and January 2026, Ahir deposited more than $64,000 that he knew came from the gang's alleged sex trafficking activities.

They also allege he structured deposits by making smaller cash transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements. Those allegations have not been proven in court.

According to the indictment, gang members allegedly recruited vulnerable girls and young women through social media and face-to-face contact, focusing on minors, runaways, foster youth, and people facing financial or emotional hardship.

The suspects allegedly promised luxury lifestyles before using intimidation, violence, and drugs to maintain control over victims. They also allege that victims were forced to surrender all money earned from commercial sex work and were punished if they refused.

Federal prosecutors also announced separate indictments against three additional men accused of sex trafficking in unrelated cases connected to the broader enforcement effort.

Those cases involve allegations of trafficking minors between the ages of 15 and 17, as well as adults, through force, fraud, or coercion. Two of those defendants were arrested on July 1, while another was arrested on June 24, according to prosecutors.

If convicted, some defendants face mandatory minimum prison sentences of 15 years and could receive life sentences under federal law.

Meanwhile, the 11 defendants charged in the original federal indictment announced in 2025 have pleaded not guilty. Their trial is scheduled to begin on March 18, 2027.

Investigation To Continue

LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the operation represents more than a series of arrests.

"We are dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from human trafficking, rescuing victims, and reclaiming the Figueroa Corridor for the community that has always deserved better," he said, according to the July 1 announcement.

During the news conference, McDonnell said the operation builds on "Operation Broken Blade," which began in August 2025.

"We promised results. Today, we're here to show them," McDonnell said.

He added that investigators "will continue with the relentless enforcement" and would not surrender the community to criminal organizations.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney's Office, with assistance from several state and local agencies and victim support organizations, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Saving Innocence.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/feds-lapd-announce-major-human-trafficking-sting-la

IRGC deploys special forces to track ships on Oman-side Hormuz route

 The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has deployed special forces along Iran’s Persian Gulf coast to identify in advance vessels using the Oman-side route through the Strait of Hormuz, sources familiar with the matter told Iran International.

The IRGC operatives are also seeking access, through Omani sources, to the schedules and coordination details of ships passing through the southern route of the Strait of Hormuz, the sources said.

The special forces deployed by the IRGC are equipped with various intelligence-gathering systems, including land-based observation posts, naval equipment and aerial systems, and have recently been tasked with identifying in advance any vessel intending to pass through the southern route and issuing warnings about it, the sources said.

The sources also say that IRGC operatives are extensively gathering information from Omani sources and agents to learn ahead of time about the coordination and schedules of ship movements through the southern route and receive related alerts.

The IRGC has said the only authorized routes through the Strait of Hormuz are those designated by the Islamic Republic. It has warned international vessels not to use the southern corridor, which passes through waters near Oman’s coast and has been recommended by Oman and the International Maritime Organization.

The deployment of the IRGC monitoring and identification network, and its attempt to access shipping information through Omani sources, comes as Washington and Tehran agreed on Sunday after several rounds of exchanges of fire, to a temporary one-week de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Talks between the two sides are expected to continue in Doha based on a new proposal put forward by Oman.

Sources say the Islamic Republic, while sitting at the negotiating table, is strengthening its identification and warning chain for vessels that do not use Tehran-approved routes — a route at the center of the current dispute between Tehran and Washington.

The attack on a Singapore-flagged vessel

The pattern of last week’s IRGC attack on a commercial vessel in the southern route is consistent with the new mission assigned to these forces.

IRGC forces on Thursday, June 25, targeted a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz near Oman’s coast. According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, the attack damaged the vessel’s bridge but caused no casualties. It came only hours after the IRGC Navy warned against using unauthorized routes.

US warplanes on Friday, June 26, struck Iranian missile and drone depots as well as coastal radar sites. The IRGC Navy responded by attacking US positions in the region and, citing Clause 5 of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, said arrangements for controlling traffic through the Strait of Hormuz were under the authority of the Islamic Republic.

Three rival routes in one waterway

According to reports, three different routes have now emerged for passage through the Strait of Hormuz: the southern route near Omani waters, the middle route used before the war, and the northern route under Iranian control.

Ships that choose non-Iranian routes risk being targeted, while those that pass through the Iranian route fear exposure to Western sanctions if the agreement collapses.

An analyst at the shipping intelligence firm Kpler told CNN that if the disputes are not resolved by mid-August, use of all three routes will become more chaotic and insecure.

Because of naval mines in the traditional traffic separation scheme designated by the International Maritime Organization in 1968, the middle route remains effectively closed, although Tehran has committed under the war-ending memorandum to clear the mines within 30 days.

Ship traffic is now moving through two routes: one near Oman’s coast and one near Iran’s coast. The Iranian Navy has also warned vessels to pass only south of Larak Island.

The dispute over Hormuz management

The IRGC’s attempt to access shipping information through Omani sources is especially significant because Muscat is both the coastal state for the southern route and the mediator and architect of the framework for the ongoing talks.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of the Islamic Republic’s negotiating team, said in Oman on June 23 that management of the Strait of Hormuz would not return to the pre-war situation. He said Tehran, in talks with China and Egypt, had raised the idea of charging vessels a “service fee” modeled on the Dardanelles waterway.

But Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi told Marco Rubio on June 25 that any possible mechanism for managing the Strait of Hormuz would not include tolls.

Officials of the Islamic Republic say Iran and Oman have joint sovereignty over the Strait and that after the 60-day deadline set in the memorandum expires, they will begin joint management and toll collection. The United States, however, regards the Strait of Hormuz as an international waterway and says any new mechanism there would require the approval of Persian Gulf countries.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, has also previously said the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed without coordination with Iran, warning that if such coordination does not take place, designated routes could be suspended.

A waterway far from normal

Two weeks after the signing of the 14-article Islamabad memorandum, which called for an end to the war on all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the end of the US naval blockade, traffic through the Strait remains only a fraction of pre-war levels.

The number of vessel transits reached about 70 on June 24, the highest level since the start of the war. Before the war, an average of about 130 vessels passed through the waterway each day.

The secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization has said 14 seafarers have been killed since the start of the Strait of Hormuz crisis. The organization also temporarily suspended the evacuation of about 600 ships and 11,000 sailors stranded in the area after the attack on the Singapore-flagged vessel.

Tracking data nevertheless shows that ships are continuing to use the southern route despite Tehran’s warnings. The Joint Maritime Information Center, which operates under US Navy oversight, has also said the route near Oman’s coast is being expanded to allow two-way traffic.

Under these conditions, the IRGC’s deployment of special forces to identify vessels on the southern route in advance, and its efforts to obtain shipping information through Omani sources, show Tehran is preparing to exert control over the same corridor Washington and Muscat are working to expand.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202607028414