Russia Blames Ukraine for Moscow Restaurant Bomb
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- The Russian Embassy in Rome on Monday blamed Kyiv for Saturday night's bombing at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Moscow, calling the attackers "Kyiv terrorists" and saying the strike aimed to "scare the Italians working in Russia".
- The embassy said five were killed and 19 injured, while the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee's initial statement reported three killed and 21 injured and did not name a mastermind or target.
- Several Russian media outlets claimed the bombing targeted Col.-Gen. Alexander Chaiko, recently appointed head of Russia's aerospace forces, who was celebrating his birthday at the restaurant — though the claims could not be independently verified.
- The business daily Kommersant reported the bomb was hidden in a gift box, contained about one kilogram of explosives with metal balls, and was likely detonated remotely by a woman who could have been unaware of the device's contents.
- The restaurant's Italian chef and staff escaped harm only because a Russian security guard's "vigilance" stopped the woman carrying the explosive, per the embassy.
- Russia has blamed Kyiv for a string of attacks on senior military officials since the 2022 invasion, including the December 2024 scooter bomb that killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov — one of the rare cases Ukraine openly acknowledged.
Why it matters: The bombing lands inside a documented Russian pattern of blaming Kyiv for attacks on senior military officials since the 2022 invasion, and unverified Russian media claims linking the target to Col.-Gen. Alexander Chaiko, newly appointed to lead Russia's aerospace forces, point to a continuation of that shadow war. The conflicting death tolls (five per the embassy versus three per the anti-terror committee) and the absence of any Ukrainian comment leave the accusation unverified at publication.
