Deadly explosion near Moscow restaurant leaves several dead

A homemade explosive device carried by a woman detonated near a high-end restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, killing at least three people and injuring 21 others, according to Russian authorities. The incident has triggered speculation on social media about a possible connection to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, although no official evidence has been presented linking the blast to the conflict.

The explosion took place shortly before 8 p.m. near an Italian restaurant located inside one of Moscow’s famous Stalin-era skyscrapers at Kudrinskaya Square. Police said the blast occurred after a woman carrying an improvised explosive device attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) reported that the woman, the security guard, and a customer inside the Balzi Rossi restaurant were killed immediately following the explosion. Authorities said several other individuals were injured in the attack and emergency services were dispatched to the scene.

The two additional victims who had been hospitalized died from their injuries, potentially raising the death toll to five. However, officials had not formally confirmed those additional deaths. The report also stated that six injured people remained in serious condition.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed condolences to the families of those killed and injured, describing the incident as a serious terrorist attack. He promised that those responsible would face punishment. However, authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims, name any suspects, or provide details about who may have been behind the explosion.

Unconfirmed reports circulating on social media suggested that the attack may have been aimed at a senior Russian military figure. According to these claims, the alleged target survived the incident, although officials have not verified this information.

The attack comes more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In recent months, Russian authorities have increased security measures around senior military officials following several assassinations and attempted attacks that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the Moscow explosion and had not issued an immediate response.

Some Russian military bloggers quickly accused Ukraine of involvement, but those claims were made without publicly available evidence. The Ukrainian government has not commented on the allegations.

Russian newspaper Kommersant raised the possibility that the woman carrying the explosive device may not have been aware of its presence or purpose. The publication suggested that the bomb could have been remotely activated by another person rather than being intentionally detonated by the woman herself.

The restaurant’s official website stated that the venue had been closed on Saturday due to a private event, although details about the gathering were not immediately available.

The incident has drawn comparisons with a previous high-profile bombing in 2023 that killed Vladlen Tatarsky, a well-known Russian pro-war blogger. In that case, a bomb hidden inside a small statue exploded while Tatarsky was holding it during an event in St. Petersburg.

A young woman, Darya Trepova, was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for delivering the explosive device. She claimed that she had been following instructions from a man based in Ukraine who had provided her with money. Ukrainian officials did not accept responsibility for the attack but also did not directly deny involvement at the time.

The latest Moscow explosion is now under investigation as authorities work to determine the identity of those responsible and establish the motive behind the attack.