Russian general's daughter may be injured in Moscow restaurant explosion
An explosion at a Moscow restaurant on August 1 may have injured Maria Chayko, daughter of Russian Aerospace Forces commander Alexander Chayko. At least five people were killed and 21 injured in the blast.
A report by the Russian outlet Verstka suggests that Maria Chayko, daughter of Russian General Alexander Chayko, is among those injured in an explosion at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow.
The blast occurred on the evening of August 1 on Kudrinskaya Square. Officially, three people were initially reported dead and 15 wounded. However, Verstka, citing the latest information, said the death toll had risen to five, with 21 injured. Two of the injured died in hospital on August 2.
A source close to the restaurant's management told Verstka that Chayko was among the casualties. Lists released by REN TV and 112, Telegram channels linked to Russian security services, included a "Maria P.", 25, who reportedly sustained an open traumatic brain injury. Verstka reported that Maria Chayko, also 25, appears in leaked databases under the surname Peredriy. The records for Chayko and Peredriy share the same date of birth and address. Phone directories identify her as both "fiancée" and "Maria Chayko." Peredriy is likely the surname of the general's son-in-law. The casualty list also includes a 27-year-old "Danylo P.", who according to leaked data is likely Danylo Peredriy. One of Maria Chayko's social media accounts lists him as a friend.
Several Russian media outlets and Telegram channels speculated that the explosion occurred during a private celebration of Alexander Chayko's 55th birthday. Chayko was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces by Putin on May 4, 2026. In March, the European Union imposed sanctions on nine individuals accused of war crimes during Russia's occupation of Bucha in Kyiv Oblast. Chayko, a former commander of Russia's Eastern Military District, was among those sanctioned. He was the highest-ranking Russian officer in Ukraine at the beginning of the full-scale invasion and led forces when they entered Bucha. In September, the Security Service of Ukraine submitted an indictment against him, accusing him of direct involvement in planning the invasion of northern Ukraine.
