Three Killed in Moscow Restaurant Bombing, Including Attacker
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- The National Anti-Terrorist Committee said a woman carrying explosives tried to enter the Balzi Rossi restaurant on Kudrinskaya square around 20:00 local time but was stopped by a security guard before the device detonated.
- Three people died in the blast — the woman carrying the bomb, the security guard, and a restaurant visitor — while 21 others were injured, according to Russian state media citing security officials.
- The restaurant initially contradicted the official account, issuing a statement saying "there was a problem outside" after initial reports placed the blast in the kitchen.
- Balzi Rossi is located in one of Moscow's Stalin-era skyscrapers and was holding a private function at the time of the attack; roads around the square were briefly closed and a nearby evening cycling event was cancelled.
- No suspect or target has been named by authorities, though the article notes Muscovites will likely suspect a link to the Ukraine war, given that Moscow has previously blamed Kyiv for assassinations of senior Russian military figures in and around the capital.
Why it matters: The attack killed three — including the bomber — and wounded 21 at a popular restaurant in central Moscow, with no group claiming responsibility. The article flags the likelihood of blame falling on Kyiv, a sensitive accusation given Russia's pattern of attributing domestic attacks on military figures to Ukraine.
