Russia has blamed Ukraine for a deadly Saturday evening bombing at the Theguardian Italian restaurant in central newsday.com. The explosion occurred near the entrance of the upscale establishment, which is located on the ground floor of a high-rise apartment building on rferl.org—one of the city’s seven Stalin-era skyscrapers.
Moscow Restaurant Bombing Leaves Five Dead
Russian prosecutors stated that an unidentified woman carrying an improvised explosive device attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard. The device detonated moments later, killing five people and injuring 19 to 21 others according to varying local reports. The business daily Kommersant reported that the bomb, hidden in a gift box and containing about 1 kilogram of explosives with metal balls for lethality, was probably detonated remotely, and that the woman carrying it may have been unaware of its contents.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the bombing as a brutal terrorist act. In a statement, the Russian foreign ministry accused Kyiv of carrying out the attack, stating: The bloody tentacles of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s terrorist gang have reached the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant in Moscow.
Additionally, the Russian Embassy in Rome stated that the attack was an attempt to intimidate the Italian community in Russia, claiming that Kyiv terrorists wanted to scare Italians working in the country. Kyiv has not yet commented on the incident.
Speculation Surrounding the Intended Target
While Russian authorities have not officially identified an intended target or named the victims, pro-Kremlin military bloggers and several independent Russian media outlets reported that the attack may have been aimed at Col. Gen. Alexander Chaiko, the commander of Russia’s aerospace forces. Reports indicated Chaiko was attending a private banquet at the restaurant to celebrate his 55th birthday. Online photographs and videos purportedly from the event showed a stage with the words “Aleksandr 55” in the background.
The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU reported that Chaiko escaped unharmed, but that his daughter, Maria, was seriously injured while her husband, Daniil Peredriy, was killed on the restaurant’s terrace. Among the other reported victims was a member of Russia’s elite Federal Protective Service. The restaurant’s Italian chef and his staff were reported unhurt thanks to the security guard.
Broader Context of Attacks on Military Officials
The bombing unfolded amid a pattern of attacks targeting senior Russian military figures and pro-war activists since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian authorities have previously blamed Ukraine for multiple incidents, including the April 2025 killing of Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik in a car bombing near Moscow, and the December 2024 killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov via a scooter-attached bomb, an operation later acknowledged by Ukraine’s SBU security service. Other high-profile historical targets include Darya Dugina, Vladlen Tatarsky, and Zakhar Prilepin. Following these security breaches, Russia’s Federal Security Service stated earlier this year that authorities would tighten security around senior military and government officials.