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The National Anti-Terrorism Committee reported that the explosion occurred just before 8 p.m. at the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square in one of Moscow’s Stalin-era skyscrapers when the device detonated after the guard prevented the woman from entering. The victims included the woman herself, the security guard and one restaurant customer, according to the committee’s statement cited by Reuters. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called the incident a brutal terrorist act in a social media post the following day, offering condolences to the victims’ families while stating that those responsible would be found and punished.
Standing outside the Moscow restaurant where bomb killed three, a BBC correspondent described shattered windows and walls pock-marked by the blast after police lifted their cordon and investigators departed the scene. Unconfirmed reports on social media and in Ukrainian media suggested that a senior Russian military commander may have been attending a private function at the venue, possibly a birthday celebration, though the Kremlin has issued no statement confirming any specific target. A criminal case has been opened with the blast under investigation as a terrorist attack, according to multiple accounts including a Wikipedia compilation of official updates.
The Russian Embassy in Italy blamed the attack on Ukrainian forces in a statement that asserted Kyiv terrorists sought to scare Italians working in Russia, as carried by the BBC. Speculation tying the bombing to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has spread among residents and online, even as Russian authorities have avoided publicly identifying any perpetrator. REN TV reported that six of those injured remained in serious condition a day after the explosion that occurred during what appeared to be a private banquet.
Local residents interviewed at the scene offered contrasting views on the cause with one woman named Ludmila telling the BBC that the blast was probably linked to the war in Ukraine. Another resident identified as Galina accused Britain of involvement because of its support for Kyiv and directed anger at a British reporter asking questions near the site. A third woman named Alexandra who lives in a nearby building recounted hearing a loud bang and said she could not get over the terrible event that had unfolded so close to her home.
Russian state television gave the explosion only minimal coverage in its main Sunday bulletins, which instead highlighted military strikes in Ukraine, domestic celebrations and international developments involving the United States and Iran, according to the BBC. In the aftermath authorities tightened security at the capital’s airports and railway stations while Sobyanin cancelled all mass gatherings, CNN and other outlets reported. The upscale restaurant sits in a central location off the Garden Ring where heavily armed law enforcement and emergency services including a bomb squad responded swiftly to seal off the premises.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee has described the device as homemade and said the woman may have been acting as a courier delivering a package without necessarily knowing its contents. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed three people outright and left more than 20 others requiring hospital treatment. The incident comes as Moscow maintains heightened alert levels with the full investigation still in its early stages according to PBS and Deutsche Welle reporting.
