An explosion occurred on August 1 at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow. Russian officials are assessing the incident as a terrorist act. The explosion took place at a restaurant located in a building constructed during the Stalin era.
According to Meduza, a closed event was being held at the restaurant that day. Some sources wrote that a wedding for 50 people was being celebrated there, while others said it was a general's birthday. Initially, it was assumed that the explosion was caused by a malfunction in gas equipment.
However, later the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee reported that an improvised explosive device had been detonated at the entrance area of the restaurant. According to the official version, a woman tried to bring a box into the restaurant.
When a guard became suspicious of her and was checking the box, the device was detonated from a distance. As a result, the woman, the guard, and one more visitor were killed, and 21 people were injured.
According to Kommersant, metal balls had been placed inside the explosive device. According to preliminary assumptions, the woman who brought the box did not know that it contained an explosive device and thought it was a gift.
A criminal case has been opened in connection with the incident under the article of the Russian Criminal Code concerning a terrorist act. Local media are writing that the likely target of the explosion was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Alexander Chaiko.
According to some sources, FSB officers, representatives of the Ministry of Defense, deputies, and other officials attended the event. For reference, Alexander Chaiko was born on July 27, 1971. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces in May 2026. Ukraine and international organizations considered him to be connected to the events in Bucha during his previous position.
After the explosion, police cordoned off the scene. Moscow officials announced that some public events, including the night cycling festival, had been rescheduled to another date due to security concerns.
