A bomb being carried by a female courier exploded as she tried to deliver a "present" to a private function at an Italian restaurant in central Moscow, killing three people. The woman attempted to bring TNT disguised as a gift into Balzi Rossi on Kudrinskaya Square, but a security guard refused to let her in, according to Russian outlet Ria Novosti.
The blast killed the guard, the woman bomber and another guest, Russian state media reported. The device, packed with metal pellets, was detonated remotely after being presented to security as a "gift". More than 20 people were injured, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
Investigation and casualties
Kommersant daily reported that the woman carrying the bomb may not have been aware of it, and that it may have been set off remotely by someone else. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the blast as a "brutal terrorist act" but did not name any suspect.
"Yesterday, a brutal terrorist act was committed in Moscow that claimed human lives. The victims are currently in the city's hospitals, where they are receiving all necessary care," Sobyanin wrote on social media on Sunday. He added that a probe into the attack was underway: "Those responsible for committing this crime will certainly be found and will face the punishment they deserve."
At least 21 people were wounded when the explosive device detonated at the restaurant, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said. No further information was provided by Russian authorities, and no one has publicly claimed responsibility.
Possible target
The restaurant was reportedly booked for the 55th birthday of General Colonel Alexander Chaika, the new commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Chaika, who was not reportedly injured in the blast, was sanctioned by the Council of the European Union for his role commanding Russian forces around Kyiv at the time of the killing of over 400 Ukrainian civilians in Bucha. According to the Associated Press, many of the proven war crimes in Bucha were "clearing" missions personally ordered and signed by Chaika.
Russian bloggers have pointed the finger at Kyiv after the blast, but Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.
