At least three people have died and another 15 have been injured this Saturday in an explosion that occurred in a central Moscow restaurant, according to the Russian capital’s police, who have not specified the cause of the incident.
The explosion occurred at the Italian restaurant Balzi Rossi, on the ground floor of the Stalinist skyscraper in Kudrinskaya Square, near Barrikadnaya metro station. The venue was closed to the general public due to a private party. The Astra channel, citing an eyewitness, reports that the restaurant was celebrating a general’s birthday. The Telegram channel ‘112’ reports that it was a wedding for 50 people. The pro-war blogger Anastasia Kashevarova writes that “someone from the elite” was celebrating in one of Moscow’s most expensive restaurants.
The police place the explosion near the venue’s terrace; in the kitchen area, according to the Telegram channel Baza. The provisional official toll is three dead and 15 injured. There is no confirmed official cause; the preliminary version points to an explosion of the kitchen’s gas equipment. The restaurant was closed for a private event.
“According to the information we have, today around [20:10 19:10 Spanish peninsular time] an explosion occurred near a café terrace, leaving a toll of three dead and fifteen injured of varying severity,” the Moscow Police told the state news agency RIA Novosti. Due to the incident, traffic was restricted at several exits of the city’s ring road and on adjacent streets.
The bomb may have been detonated remotely by a messenger who was unaware of the package’s contents, according to investigation sources cited by the Russian newspaper ‘Kommersant’. The target was the attendees of the private party held on the venue’s terrace. The event had a strong security presence. The main hypothesis holds that a guard stopped a woman carrying a box supposedly intended for the guests. She claimed it was a gift. When the guard decided to inspect it, the explosion occurred.
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Sources consulted by the newspaper believe the device was activated remotely. The messenger, the guard, and a third person on the terrace died. The charge had a power equivalent to about one kilo of TNT and was reinforced with metal balls, which increased the number of injured. The explosion tore the woman apart: one of her arms was found about 15 meters from the epicenter. The Investigative Committee has several lines of investigation open.
The police cordoned off the area around the building where the explosion occurred. The Moscow Department of Transport announced that the Night Bicycle Festival, which was supposed to start tonight and take place around the center, has been postponed “due to unforeseen circumstances”.
The pro-war blogger Anastasia Kashevarova has confirmed on her channel that “someone from the elite” was celebrating a party at Balzi Rossi, considered one of Moscow’s most expensive establishments: “It is a restaurant for the wealthiest people, but its clientele is not very broad and among its regulars are Yana Rudkovskaya [music producer], Victoria Bonya [famous influencer who recently begged Vladimir Putin not to block the internet], officials, and politicians”.
According to witnesses, numerous cars with black license plates were parked near the restaurant. Black license plates with white characters in Russia identify vehicles belonging to military organizations or institutions, although certain National Guard units or the FSB security service may also use them. Apparently, a National Guard bus was also in the vicinity.