Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin describes the deadly bomb attack in a nightlife district in the middle of the capital as a “brutal act of terrorism”. The culprits would be found and punished, Sobyanin wrote on Telegram on Sunday. However, the authorities are keeping quiet about the background to the crime, which took place in a gourmet restaurant. The necessary investigation into the explosion was underway, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced on Sunday.
Several news channels on Telegram reported that the death toll after the attack on Saturday evening had risen to five. There is currently no official confirmation of the number of deaths. After the explosion, the authorities spoke of 3 dead and 21 injured. According to the national anti-terrorism committee, the dead were a woman who is suspected of having brought the explosive device with her, a security service employee who did not let her into the restaurant, and a guest. The mayor expressed his condolences to the victims’ families.
According to authorities, the homemade explosive device exploded at around 8 p.m. (local time) on Saturday in the restaurant in a popular Moscow nightlife district near the zoo. The daily newspaper Kommersant reported, citing its own sources, that the target of the attack were the guests of a private event in the restaurant. The bomb with metal balls is said to have been detonated via a remote control when the woman was being checked by the security guard. However, the woman may have known nothing about the contents of the package she was carrying – and thought it was an ordinary gift delivery.
Was a general celebrating his birthday in the restaurant?
Russian military bloggers wrote on Telegram that an armed forces general had celebrated his 55th birthday in the restaurant. Accordingly, the name Alexander Chaiko was circulating – head of the Russian Aerospace Forces since May of this year. He is also said to have celebrated his promotion there. It was said that the guests included high-ranking intelligence officers, civil servants, members of parliament and generals. There was no official confirmation of this either.
Chaiko had previously been deputy chief of general staff. In March of this year, according to a statement from the European Council, Chaiko was sanctioned for his role in the massacre in Bucha shortly after the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
The authorities initially did not provide any information. The restaurant was not easily accessible on Saturday evening due to a closed party. Media reported that due to the importance of the guests, a large contingent of forces from the Federal Security Service FSO, which is also responsible for protecting the Russian President, was deployed.
Attacks on high-ranking Russian military officials have been carried out several times
Since the beginning of Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022, high-ranking military officials and propagandists have repeatedly been the target of attacks in Russia. The deputy chief of Russian army intelligence, Vladimir Alexeyev, was seriously injured in February of this year.
In April 2025, Lieutenant General Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bomb explosion. In December 2024, Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian NBC defense force, was also killed in a bomb attack. The Ukrainian secret service claimed responsibility for the crime. He sees such attacks as part of the defensive fight against the Russian war of aggression.
Moscow’s domestic secret service, the FSB, repeatedly reports that the Ukrainian secret services are recruiting perpetrators for acts of terror and sabotage. Dozens of suspects are therefore in custody. The FSB repeatedly reminds citizens to be careful not to get involved in such acts.