MOSCOW — Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Sunday denounced a deadly explosion at an upscale restaurant in central Moscow as a "brutal terrorist act," as Russian law enforcement authorities launched a criminal investigation into the weekend attack.
The blast occurred on Saturday evening around 8:10 p.m. local time near the entrance and outdoor terrace of Balzi Rossi, an Italian restaurant situated on the ground floor of a historic Stalin-era skyscraper on Kudrinskaya Square.
"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 posted on social media Sunday. He added that an active probe into the incident was underway and pledged that "those responsible for committing this crime will certainly be found and will face the punishment they deserve."
Fatalities and Security Guard Intervention
According to Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee and state media, the explosion killed three people: the woman transporting the explosive device, a restaurant security officer who intercepted her at the entrance, and a restaurant patron.
An unidentified woman attempted to smuggle an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the building, where a private banquet was taking place. The security guard stopped her from entering, triggering the detonation outside the threshold. Citing investigative sources, local news outlets noted that authorities are examining whether the device was detonated remotely without the carrier's full knowledge.
At least 21 other people sustained injuries of varying degrees of severity and were rushed to nearby medical facilities.
Emergency Response and Investigation
Following the blast, heavily armed law enforcement personnel, bomb disposal units, and multiple emergency response crews converged on Kudrinskaya Square. Security forces cordoned off the immediate perimeter, temporarily halting vehicular traffic along the Garden Ring and closing access points to the adjacent Barrikadnaya metro station.
The Moscow Investigative Committee confirmed that forensic specialists and homicide detectives remain at the scene gathering evidence. As of Sunday afternoon, no group or individual had publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, and official investigators have not officially attributed the bombing to any specific organization or external state.
