Three people were killed and 21 others were wounded after an improvised explosive device went off inside an upscale restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, authorities said.
The blast occurred at 7:55 p.m. local time inside the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square, according to statements from the national anti-terrorism committee.
Officials reported that an unidentified woman attempted to enter the restaurant carrying an explosive device hidden inside a box. She purportedly presented herself as making a delivery to diners. A security guard intervened to prevent the woman from entering the premises, and the device exploded. The guard, the suspected carrier and a restaurant patron were killed in the blast, authorities said.
Emergency services transported the injured to nearby hospitals. Officials have not released further details on the victims' conditions.
Investigators have opened a criminal case under the statute that covers terrorist acts, the Kommersant newspaper reported. Security services are conducting searches and gathering evidence with the stated aims of determining how the explosive was manufactured, who organised the attack and whether the woman acted alone.
Authorities have not identified an intended target or disclosed a motive, and no individual or organisation has claimed responsibility for the bombing.
The restaurant sits in a prominent area of central Moscow near government buildings, businesses and high-end residential properties.
Russian officials in recent years have said that several senior military figures and others connected to the war in Ukraine were the targets of assassination attempts in or near Moscow. Russian authorities have attributed some previous attacks to Ukraine; Kyiv did not comment on this latest explosion, and officials have presented no evidence connecting the country to the restaurant bombing.
The incident occurred on the same night that Russian authorities reported a series of Ukrainian drone attacks across the country. Officials have not established any link between the drone activity and the restaurant explosion.
Security officials and business operators have said that a major security incident in central Moscow could prompt increased screening at restaurants, hotels, transport hubs and public venues - measures that would raise operating and security costs for businesses.
Key points
- Three people were killed and 21 wounded after an explosive device detonated inside the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow at 7:55 p.m. local time.
- Authorities say an unidentified woman carrying the device posed as a delivery person; a security guard tried to stop her before the device exploded.
- Investigators have opened a terrorism criminal case and are searching for evidence to determine how the device was made, who organised the attack and whether the suspect acted alone.
Sectors impacted
- Hospitality and leisure - potential for higher security and operating costs.
- Transport and public venues - possible increases in screening and related expenses.
Risks and uncertainties
- Authorities have not identified a motive or target; the absence of this information leaves the scope and intent of the attack unclear, creating uncertainty for security planning in public and commercial venues.
- No individual or group has claimed responsibility, and investigators have not yet determined whether the suspect acted alone, leaving open the possibility of further investigative developments.
- Although the explosion coincided with reports of Ukrainian drone activity across Russia, officials have not established any connection between the two events, and no evidence linking them has been disclosed.
What investigators are seeking
Security agencies said they are focusing on how the device was constructed, who might have organised the attack and whether the woman who carried the device had accomplices. The criminal case under Russia's law on terrorist acts is intended to give authorities the legal framework to pursue those lines of inquiry.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, but authorities have not published updates on their medical status. Until investigators release further findings or a claim of responsibility emerges, the motives and wider implications of the incident remain unresolved.