Russia Accuses Ukraine After Moscow Restaurant Blast Kills Five
Five people died and 19 were injured in an explosion near an upmarket restaurant in central Moscow, with Russian officials pointing the finger at Ukraine. Reports suggest a high-ranking Russian commander may have been the intended target.
An explosion took place on Saturday evening close to the entrance of an Italian restaurant located in one of Moscow's seven Stalin-era skyscrapers on Kudrinskaya Square. According to Russian prosecutors, a woman carrying an improvised explosive device tried to enter the venue but was stopped by a security guard. The device went off shortly afterwards, killing five and wounding 19.
On Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement blaming Kyiv, describing the attack as an act by President Zelenskyy's "terrorist gang". Officials have not named the intended target or released the identities of victims.
Pro-Kremlin military bloggers and several independent Russian outlets have suggested the attack may have been aimed at Colonel General Aleksandr Chayko, commander of Russia's aerospace forces, who was reportedly attending a private birthday banquet at the restaurant for his 55th birthday. Photos circulating online showed a stage bearing the words "Aleksandr 55". Chayko previously led the failed assault on Kyiv in early 2022 and was later promoted to head the air force.
The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, known for leaks from Russia's security services, said Chayko was unharmed, but his daughter Maria was seriously injured and her husband Daniil Peredriy was killed; the couple was on the restaurant terrace. Russian daily Kommersant reported that investigators believe the woman carrying the device may not have known it was a bomb, possibly detonated remotely by someone else. Another reported victim was a member of Russia's Federal Protective Service.
Kyiv has not commented yet. Since the full-scale invasion began, Ukrainian intelligence has targeted dozens of senior Russian military officers and Moscow-installed officials, accusing them of war crimes. The operations have involved both willing saboteurs and unwitting civilians. At least four Russian generals and other senior military figures, as well as pro-war activists, have been killed inside Russia, though some attempts missed their targets. In 2022, a car bomb killed Darya Dugina, daughter of ultranationalist ideologue Aleksandr Dugin, in an attack widely believed to have been meant for him.
