Moscow Restaurant Bombing: Three Killed, More Than 20 Injured

Three people were killed and at least 21 others were injured after an explosive device detonated outside the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening. Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) classified the incident as a terrorist attack, while emergency services quickly secured the area and extinguished a fire that followed the blast.

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Kudrinskaya Square - residential building

Explosion During Private Event Kills Three

The explosion occurred at approximately 7:50 p.m. outside the Balzi Rossi restaurant, located in the Stalin-era high-rise on Kudrinskaya Square. The blast was reportedly heard several kilometers away, and heavily armed security forces immediately cordoned off the surrounding streets.

According to Russian authorities, the victims included a security guard, a woman carrying the explosive device, and one restaurant guest. Officials said the woman attempted to enter the restaurant, where a private celebration attended by about 50 guests was taking place. After the security guard stopped her and began inspecting a package she claimed was a gift, the explosive device detonated.

Sources cited by the Kommersant indicate that the perpetrators may have used the female courier unwittingly, potentially detonating the device remotely. This suggests she may have been unaware she was carrying a bomb.

The blast injured at least 21 people. Reports said victims suffered traumatic brain injuries, penetrating wounds to the chest and abdomen, burns, limb injuries, and blast-related trauma.

The force of the blast was immense – the woman's remains were scattered across the vicinity; a severed hand was reportedly found approximately 15 meters from the epicenter.

Investigators believe the improvised explosive device had the equivalent force of roughly one kilogram of TNT and contained metal ball bearings designed to maximize casualties. According to Kommersant, investigators are examining the possibility that someone remotely detonated the bomb, potentially without the courier's knowledge. Authorities have not officially confirmed that scenario.

Investigation Continues as Authorities Avoid Speculation

Police temporarily closed several roads around Kudrinskaya Square following the explosion, while Moscow's Metro stations Barrikadnaya and Krasnopresnenskaya continued operating normally. City officials also postponed the Moscow Night Cycling Festival, which had been scheduled to take place along the Garden Ring.

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee has confirmed the attack and the number of casualties but has not identified the intended target or announced who organized the bombing.

Some Russian Telegram channels and commentators have speculated that senior military officials attending the private event may have been the intended target. Those claims remain unverified, and authorities have not linked the attack to any specific individual. 

Kiryil Fyodorov, a prominent pro-war blogger known as "Alconafter," suggested that the attack may have been an assassination attempt. He noted, without providing evidence, that the private event may have been a birthday celebration for Colonel-General Alexander Chaiko, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who turned 55 on June 27. This information has not been corroborated by official sources.