Moscow: At least three people lost their lives and 21 others were injured after an explosion outside a restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, prompting a major security response and an investigation by Russian authorities.
According to officials, the blast occurred around 8 pm near a restaurant situated in one of Moscow’s iconic Stalin-era high-rise buildings at Kudrinskaya Square. The Russian Interior Ministry said preliminary findings indicate that the explosion was triggered by an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly being carried by a woman attempting to enter the restaurant.
Authorities said the woman, a security guard and a customer were killed in the incident. The identities of the victims have not yet been made public. Several of the injured reportedly sustained serious injuries and were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Investigators said the woman was stopped by security personnel before entering the restaurant, following which the device exploded outside the premises. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed that the blast involved a handmade explosive device and that a detailed investigation is underway to determine who was behind the attack.
Initial reports had suggested that the explosion occurred inside the restaurant. However, the establishment later clarified that the incident took place outside the building. Media reports have since claimed that the explosive device may have been intended to target guests seated in the restaurant’s outdoor dining area.
Some Russian media outlets, citing unnamed sources, have also reported that investigators are examining the possibility that the bomb was detonated remotely by another individual. However, authorities have not officially confirmed this theory.
The restaurant had reportedly been closed to the public on Saturday due to a private event at the time of the explosion.
Following the blast, the area around Kudrinskaya Square was sealed off as heavily armed security personnel and emergency services launched search and rescue operations. Traffic in the surrounding area was temporarily suspended, while access to the nearby Barrikadnaya Metro Station was restricted during the investigation.
The explosion comes amid heightened security concerns in Russia, where several senior military and government-linked figures have been targeted in attacks in and around Moscow over the past year. Russian authorities have previously blamed Ukraine for a number of such incidents, although no official link has been established between those cases and Saturday’s explosion.
Security agencies continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the blast and are working to identify any individuals who may have been involved.
