At least three people were killed and more than 20 injured when a homemade bomb carried by a woman exploded near a restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, according to Russian authorities. The blast occurred just before 8pm local time (6pm UK time) close to the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant, located in one of Moscow's seven Stalin-era skyscrapers at Kudrinskaya Square.
Explosion Details and Immediate Aftermath
Russia's anti-terrorism committee said the unidentified woman carrying the improvised explosive device had tried to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard, the state RIA news agency reported. The explosion killed the woman, the security guard, and a customer at the restaurant, police confirmed.
Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, offered his condolences and vowed that those responsible would be punished. "A brutal terrorist attack was carried out in Moscow yesterday," he said in a statement on Sunday. Heavily armed law enforcement officers sealed off the scene, and the authorities did not name any suspects.
Casualty Figures and Unconfirmed Reports
REN TV cited a source on Sunday as saying that two people taken to hospital had later died of their wounds, bringing the death toll to five, though there was no official confirmation. The channel also reported that six people were in a serious condition. More than 20 people were injured in total, according to initial reports.
Unverified social media reports suggested that a senior Russian military commander may have been the intended target but was unharmed. The Kommersant daily speculated that the woman carrying the bomb may not have known about it, suggesting it was detonated remotely by someone else.
Possible Link to Ukraine War
The attack has sparked speculation on social media that it may be linked to Russia's full-scale war with Ukraine, which has been ongoing for more than four years. Russian war bloggers, without providing evidence, quickly blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Kyiv did not immediately comment. Senior Ukrainian officials have previously neither claimed nor denied involvement in similar incidents.
The restaurant's website indicated that the venue had been closed on Saturday for a private event, adding to the complexity of the incident.
Historical Context: Similar Attacks
The nature of the attack recalls a bombing in 2023 that killed Russian pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. In that case, a young woman, Darya Trepova, was jailed for 27 years for delivering a bomb concealed inside a statuette that exploded in his hands. Trepova said she had been acting under instruction from a man in Ukraine who had sent her money.
This latest incident underscores the ongoing security concerns in Russia, especially for high-ranking military officials, following a series of assassinations and attempted killings that Moscow has blamed on Kyiv. Russia has promised better protection for such officials this year, but Saturday's blast shows that threats remain.
