What We Know About the Deadly Moscow Restaurant Attack

**MOSCOW** — At least five people were killed and 21 injured following a bomb explosion outside an upscale restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, according to authorities and reports from Russian media outlets.

The blast occurred just before 8 p.m. outside Balzi Rossi, an Italian restaurant located in one of Moscow’s Stalin-era skyscrapers at Kudrinskaya Ploshchad.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee stated that a woman carrying a homemade explosive device attempted to enter the establishment. She was killed in the explosion along with a security guard who stopped her and reportedly attempted to inspect a package disguised as a gift. The newspaper *Kommersant* reported that preliminary findings suggest the attacker may have been unaware she was carrying a bomb.

The explosion carried a force equivalent to one kilogram of TNT, and the device was packed with metal balls, according to *Kommersant*. The blast was powerful enough to scatter the attacker’s remains 15 meters from the site.

While initial figures from authorities placed the death toll at three, the Telegram channel 112, pro-Kremlin broadcaster Ren TV, and the newspaper *Izvestia* reported Sunday that the death toll had risen to five. The Russian Embassy in Italy confirmed the figure of five dead on Monday.

**Official Responses**
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed condolences to the families of the victims on Sunday and described the explosion as “a brutal terrorist attack,” though he did not attribute responsibility.

The Russian Embassy in Italy blamed Ukraine for the attack, stating in a release that “the bloody tentacles of [President Volodymyr] Zelensky’s terrorist gang have reached an Italian restaurant in Moscow” and alleging that Kyiv sought to intimidate Italians working in Russia.

Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov have commented on the incident. Ukrainian authorities have also not issued any comments regarding the attack.

**Target and Potential Victims**
Authorities have officially classified the incident as a terrorist attack, though the intended target remains unconfirmed.

Reports indicate that the restaurant was hosting a birthday celebration for Colonel General Alexander Chaiko, who turned 55 on July 27, and marking his recent appointment as commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces. A video from the event showed a sign reading “Alexander 55” on the stage.

The VChK-OGPU Telegram channel, which claims insider ties to Russian security agencies, reported that senior Federal Security Service (FSB) officials, Defense Ministry generals, government officials, and lawmakers may have been in attendance.

The exiled news outlet *Vyorstka*, citing a source close to restaurant management, reported that Chaiko’s daughter, Maria Chaiko, may have been injured in the explosion. Unverified victim lists circulating on Telegram include a 25-year-old woman identified as “Maria P.,” who reportedly suffered a traumatic brain injury and whose surname matches that of her husband, Daniil Peredriy. Peredriy was reported dead on Wednesday by the exiled investigative outlet *Agentstvo*, citing publicly available data.

Reports indicated that General Chaiko himself was not injured.

**Background on General Chaiko**
If confirmed, the incident would mark an assassination attempt against one of the highest-ranking Russian generals since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Chaiko was appointed commander of Russia’s Aerospace Forces in May 2026. He previously served as commander of Russia’s Eastern Military District, during which he was accused by investigators of involvement in the killings of civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in March 2022. Earlier this year, the European Union placed Chaiko under sanctions, designating him as a high-ranking military officer deployed in Ukraine at the onset of the conflict.

Article and image source: themoscowtimes.com