The bomb went off at about 8:10 p.m. on a Saturday, on the outdoor terrace of Balzi Rossi, an upscale Italian restaurant at the foot of a Stalinist skyscraper on Kudrinskaya Square in central Moscow. Russian state media reported three dead, the woman carrying the device among them, and at least 21 wounded.
Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called it a “brutal terrorist act.” He promised that “those responsible for committing this crime will certainly be found and will face the punishment they deserve,” though he named no suspects.
What happened at the door
The restaurant had been closed for a private function. Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported that a security guard stopped the woman before she could get in. According to the business daily Kommersant, she had approached with a box she described as a gift, and the guard grew suspicious. When he moved to search it, the device exploded.
CNN, citing reports, gave a higher toll: at least five dead and 19 injured, with the guard, a customer and the woman among those killed. The count differed between outlets, and the Moscow figure of three came from state media.
Investigators think the bomb was set off by remote control, and early findings suggest the woman may not have known what was in the package. Kommersant said the device carried the force of one kilogram of TNT and was packed with metal ball bearings to increase casualties. The apparent targets were guests at the private gathering on the terrace.
No claim, no attribution
By Sunday afternoon Russian authorities had not blamed any group, and had not tied the blast to the war in Ukraine. The pattern is familiar to them, though. Moscow blamed Ukraine for the April 2024 car bombing that killed Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik. Ukraine’s security service has acknowledged organizing the December 2024 killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who died when an explosive hidden in a scooter went off outside his apartment building.
The restaurant said it was “deeply saddened by the tragedy.”
Sources
- Moscow mayor calls a deadly bomb attack on a restaurant a 'terrorist act'
- Deadly bomb explosion at Moscow restaurant was 'terrorist attack,' mayor says
