Moscow Bombing That Killed 5 Aimed At Chief of Russian Aerospace Forces

An improvised explosive device that killed five people and wounded 21 at an exclusive Moscow restaurant was intended for a birthday party being held there for the Commander-in Chief of Russia's Aerospace Forces, which have carried out many of the terror bombings of Ukrainian cities. 

The bomber was a young woman who was stopped by a security guard when the bomb detonated. Both of them were among those killed. No one has, as of yet, taken credit for the attack, which is sure to increase tensions in Moscow as its elite increasingly feel targeted by drones, bombings and other threats. This will also further challenge the Putin regime's claim that it is 'winning' the war against Ukraine. JL

Anna Chernova and colleagues report in CNN and Roman Petrenko reports in Ukraine Pravda:

A bomb blast at the Balzi Rossi restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow that killed as many as five people and injured 21 others was an improvised explosive device. Russian media outlets and Telegram channels have suggested the target may have been a private celebration of the 55th birthday of Aleksandr Chayko, Commander-in-Chief of Russia's Aerospace Forces. As evidence, they point to a sign reading "Alexandr 55" on the restaurant's stage. An unidentified woman attempted to enter a private event. The bomb went off, killing the woman, security guard who stopped her and others.

Moscow’s mayor says a bomb blast that killed at least three people and injured 21 others at a restaurant was a “terrorist attack.” 

An unidentified woman attempted to enter a private event at the Balzi Rossi restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square carrying what authorities believe was an improvised explosive device, state media reported. The bomb went off before she entered, killing the security guard who stopped her, and a customer, as well as the woman carrying the device, according to authorities. 

Russian media outlets and Telegram channels have suggested the target may have been a private celebration of the 55th birthday of Aleksandr Chayko, Commander-in-Chief of Russia's Aerospace Forces. As indirect evidence, they point to a sign reading "Alexandr 55" on the restaurant's stage. There is no official confirmation of this theory.

Authorities did not immediately identify the woman and it was also unclear whether she deliberately detonated the device.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, “Yesterday, a brutal terrorist attack took place in Moscow, claiming the lives of several people.”

“Those responsible for this crime will certainly be found and will face the punishment they deserve,” he added, giving no details on a motive or who might be behind the attack.

Pro-Kremlin REN TV reported that two of the victims taken to hospital had since died from their injuries, citing a source. This has not been confirmed by officials.

The apparent targets were guests attending a private event on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace, Russian business daily Kommersant reported. Sources told the newspaper that the event was heavily guarded, which may have prevented a significantly higher death toll. Kommersant said a security guard became suspicious of a courier approaching with a box she described as a gift and decided to search her. The device exploded at that moment.

Investigators believe the bomb was detonated remotely, and a preliminary account indicates that the woman most likely did not know what the package contained, Kommersant reported.

The device had the explosive force of one kilogram of TNT and was packed with metal ball bearings intended to increase casualties, according to the newspaper.

While Russian authorities have not alleged a Ukraine link as of yet, Moscow has previously blamed Kyiv for a series of assassinations or assassination attempts on high-profile military officials since the war. 

The blast happened around 8:10 p.m. local time (1:10 p.m. ET) near the outdoor terrace, according to Russian state news agency TASS, which cited the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The restaurant is located at the base of a landmark tower on Kudrinskaya Square, one of Moscow’s famous “Seven Sisters,” a group of Stalinist skyscrapers built in the 1950s.

The explosion immediately prompted the deployment of an investigative task force and a large number of police and emergency personnel to the site, which sits along the Garden Ring in Moscow’s central Presnensky district.

The restaurant said it was “deeply saddened by the tragedy and extends its sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were killed.”