Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) reported yesterday evening that the explosion of a home-made bomb had killed three people and injured 21 at a restaurant in central Moscow. Russian Telegram channels report that two of the injured have died today in the hospital. Reports, not yet officially confirmed, have spread quickly that the target was a senior Russian military officer.
Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin confirmed this morning that the bombing was “a brutal act of terror,” according to the official news agency TASS. Kommersant reports that the Investigative Committee of Russia is treating it as an act of terror. The explosion, just before 8:00 p.m. on Saturday evening, occurred in the outdoor dining area of the upscale Balzi Rossi restaurant, located on the ground floor of the Kudrinskaya Square Building, a 1950s “wedding cake"-style skyscraper just 2.5 km from the Kremlin. The NAC said that a woman sought to carry the improvised explosive device into the restaurant proper, but was blocked by a security guard who attempted to search her package. At that point the bomb detonated, killing the guard, the courier, and one restaurant guest.
