- A female bomber kills at least three people and injures 21 near a Moscow restaurant, authorities say.
- Unverified social media reports suggested a top Russian military commander was the intended target but was unharmed. Kommersant suggested the woman carrying the bomb may not have known about it and that it was set off remotely. The restaurant's website said the venue had been closed for a private event.
- Russian war bloggers, without citing any evidence, blamed Ukraine for the attack; Kyiv did not immediately comment.
- The attack recalled the 2023 bombing that killed Russian pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky; Darya Trepova was jailed for 27 years for delivering the bomb. Senior Ukrainian officials at the time neither claimed nor denied involvement.
A homemade bomb carried by a woman exploded near the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, resulting in at least three fatalities and 21 injuries, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK). The blast occurred after the woman was stopped by a security guard while attempting to enter the restaurant.
NAK reported that the woman, the guard, and a customer were killed instantly in the explosion. REN TV later indicated that two additional victims succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, raising the death toll to five, although this has not been officially confirmed. Six individuals remain in serious condition.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin expressed condolences to the victims' families and vowed that those responsible would face justice, calling the incident a “brutal terrorist attack”. The authorities have not disclosed the identities of the deceased or any suspects involved.
Unverified reports on social media suggested that a high-ranking Russian military commander may have been the intended target of the attack, but he was reportedly unharmed. The Kommersant daily speculated that the woman may not have been aware of the bomb, which could have been detonated remotely by another party.234
The incident has drawn parallels to a previous bombing in 2023 that killed pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. At that time, a woman named Darya Trepova was sentenced to 27 years for delivering a bomb disguised as a statuette, allegedly under the direction of a man in Ukraine.5678
While Russian war bloggers have attributed blame to Ukraine, Kyiv has not commented on the incident.
“REN TV cited a source saying two hospitalized victims later died, bringing the death toll to five without official confirmation, as six remained in serious condition. Unverified social media reports suggested a top Russian military commander was the intended target though unharmed, and Russian war bloggers, without evidence, blamed Ukraine; Kyiv did not immediately comment.”
KSL News
