The Russian foreign ministry has formally accused Ukraine of orchestrating a lethal bombing at an upscale Italian restaurant in central Moscow. The explosion, which occurred on Saturday evening, took place near the entrance of the Balzi Rossi restaurant, located within one of the city's iconic Stalin-era skyscrapers on Kudrinskaya Square. The attack resulted in five deaths and left 19 other individuals injured.
According to statements released by Russian prosecutors, the incident unfolded when an unidentified woman carrying an improvised explosive device attempted to enter the establishment. She was intercepted by a security guard, and the device detonated shortly thereafter.
Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that investigators are exploring the possibility that the woman may have been unaware she was carrying a bomb, theorizing that it was triggered remotely by another individual, which resulted in her death.
In a sharp rebuke issued on Sunday, the Russian foreign ministry stated, “The bloody tentacles of [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s terrorist gang have reached the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant in Moscow.” While authorities have not officially named the victims or confirmed a specific target, there is widespread speculation that the attack was aimed at Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, the commander of Russia’s aerospace forces.
Reports suggest the general was attending a private banquet at the restaurant to celebrate his 55th birthday. Online images and videos purportedly from the event showed a stage decorated with the text “Aleksandr 55.”
The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, known for security service leaks, reported that while Chayko escaped the blast unharmed, his daughter, Maria, sustained serious injuries. Her husband, Daniil Peredriy, was killed while the couple was on the restaurant’s terrace. Among the other casualties was a member of the elite Federal Protective Service (FSO). Kyiv has not yet issued a comment regarding the accusations.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian intelligence agencies have frequently targeted senior Russian military officers and officials. These operations, which have utilized both willing saboteurs and unwitting civilians, have resulted in the deaths of at least four Russian generals and various pro-war figures.
These tactics have previously included high-profile incidents such as the 2022 car bombing that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of ultranationalist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin.
