Ukrainian oligarch fighting for his life; Renounced citizenship, Sanctioned by Zelensky PHOTO/VIDEO

Police said CCTV footage shows a man leaving a backpack at the entrance to the building moments before the explosion. A manhunt for the suspect is currently underway.

It was later revealed that the bomb had been packed with screws and metal ball bearings to inflict maximum damage. The Telegraph reported that Vadym Yermolaiev is in critical condition.

Who is Vadym Yermolaiev?

Yermolaiev has been described by the media as one of the "wealthiest oligarchs to emerge from Ukraine's industrial sector." A Cyprus-based businessman of Ukrainian origin, he was also a real estate investor, according to the Daily Express, and is known for his role in developing projects in the city of Dnipro.

He served as the CEO of the Alef Group, a commercial and industrial conglomerate founded in 1997, with operations spanning real estate, manufacturing, agribusiness, and the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages. Alef Estate, established in 2001, focuses on commercial property development.

Public estimates of Yermolaiev's wealth have varied significantly over the years, ranging from $173 million to more than $800 million. According to publicly available reports, he obtained Cypriot citizenship in 2019 and later renounced his Ukrainian citizenship.

In 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions on him, freezing his assets and banning him from conducting financial activities in Ukraine for ten years. The sanctions were linked to allegations that some of his business operations continued in Crimea following Russia's 2014 annexation of the peninsula. Yermolaiev has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Among those injured were his partner and a 13-year-old boy, although authorities have not officially confirmed the identities of all the victims, the Daily Express reported.