Explosion near luxury restaurant in Moscow: three killed, 21 wounded

Three people were killed and at least 21 wounded in a bomb blast on Saturday evening near a luxury restaurant in central Moscow. Among the dead are a woman who carried the device, a restaurant security guard, and one diner. Russian authorities provided details, but no one has claimed responsibility or stated a motive.

Three people were killed and at least 21 others wounded in a bomb blast that occurred on Saturday evening near a luxury restaurant in central Moscow, according to Russian authorities. Among the dead are a woman who carried the device, a restaurant security guard, and one diner. The explosion occurred shortly before 8:00 PM local time, near the Italian restaurant "Balzi Rossi," located in one of the seven Stalin-era skyscrapers on Kudrinskaya Square in the Russian capital. According to Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee, a woman whose identity has not yet been released attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard. Shortly afterward, the device she was carrying exploded. Authorities said the wounded suffered injuries of varying severity but did not release their identities or further details on their condition. Footage from the scene showed heavily armed security forces, and the area was closed to public traffic. Authorities have not yet said who is behind the blast or pointed to a possible motive. According to a report in the Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing its sources, the device was intended to target guests seated on the restaurant's summer terrace. It was also reported that the device may have been detonated remotely, and that the woman carrying it did not know it was an explosive. The restaurant's website stated that the venue was closed to the public that evening due to a private event. Earlier this year, Russia's Federal Security Service announced it would increase security around senior military officials, following a series of assassinations and assassination attempts that Moscow attributed to Ukraine. However, no connection has yet been made between the restaurant blast and those events.