Deadly Blast Near Moscow Restaurant Kills Three, Injures at Least 21

A powerful explosion near an Italian restaurant in central Moscow last night (Shabbat) killed three people and left at least 21 others injured, some seriously. According to Russian authorities, the incident occurred minutes before 8:00 p.m. in Kudrinskaya Square, near the Balzi Rossi restaurant, located in one of the seven historic skyscrapers built during the Stalin era.

According to a statement from Russia’s counterterrorism committee, a woman whose identity has not yet been released attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped at the entrance by a security guard. A powerful blast occurred shortly afterward. Information provided by the authorities indicates that the woman, the guard, and one of the restaurant’s customers were killed at the scene, while at least 21 additional people were injured and evacuated for medical treatment.

Videos released from the scene showed heavily armed security forces operating in the area as the entire vicinity was closed to the public. The state news agency RIA published footage from the scene showing law enforcement personnel securing the compound and conducting the initial investigation.

At this stage, Russian authorities have not released the names of those killed or injured, nor have they said who was behind the explosion or what the motive may have been.

However, the Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing its own sources, reported that the device’s original target was the guests seated on the restaurant’s terrace. According to that report, it is possible that the device was detonated remotely by another person, and that the woman carrying it may not have known it was an explosive device.

It was also reported that the restaurant was closed to the general public that evening because of a private event, as noted on the venue’s official website. The circumstances of the explosion remain under investigation, and it has not yet been determined whether it was a deliberate attack or an incident with another motive.

Earlier this year, Russia’s Federal Security Service announced that it was increasing security around senior military officials following a series of assassinations and attempted killings that Moscow attributed to Ukraine. Despite the sensitive security backdrop, authorities emphasized that there is currently no indication linking the explosion near the restaurant to those incidents.