Moscow Mayor Declares Restaurant Bombing ‘Brutal Terrorist Act’ After Attack Kills 3, Injures 21

An explosion at Balzi Rossi, a high-end Italian restaurant in Moscow’s Kudrinskaya Square, claimed three lives and left at least 21 others injured on Saturday evening around 8 p.m. local time. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a statement the following day characterizing the incident as a “brutal terrorist act” and pledging that authorities would identify and prosecute those accountable.

According to Russian state media citing local officials, a woman carrying a homemade explosive device attempted to gain entry to the restaurant but was intercepted by a security guard, at which point the bomb detonated. The three fatalities included the woman, the security guard, and a restaurant patron, with all injured survivors receiving treatment at Moscow hospitals.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed the blast resulted from a homemade explosive device. As of Sunday, Russian authorities had not identified any suspects or apprehended suspects, and no organization had claimed responsibility for the attack.

The venue had been closed to the public Saturday night for a private event. Video footage from state media showed an extensive police presence and emergency response crews surrounding the damaged establishment as investigators began their work at the scene.

The Kremlin has not connected the bombing to ongoing assassination attempts against military and government officials or to the war in Ukraine, despite heightened security concerns since Russia’s 2022 invasion.