by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

MOSCOW (Worthy News) – Russian authorities launched a terrorism investigation after a bomb exploded at the entrance to an upscale Italian restaurant in central Moscow, killing at least three people and wounding 21 others, officials said.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said an unidentified woman attempted to enter the Balzi Rossi restaurant carrying an improvised explosive device concealed inside a box before the bomb exploded at the entrance.

The woman, a security guard who stopped her, and a restaurant guest were killed in the blast, while at least 21 other people were injured, officials said.

The explosion occurred at about 8 p.m. local time at the Balzi Rossi restaurant, located inside one of Moscow’s landmark Stalin-era skyscrapers known as the “Seven Sisters.” Emergency crews rushed to the scene as police and anti-terrorism officers sealed off surrounding streets.

BOMB HIDDEN IN BOX

Russian media reported that the explosive device had been hidden inside a gift box. Authorities have not said what triggered the blast, although Russian media reported that the bomb may have been detonated remotely while a security guard inspected the suspicious package.

Those reports could not immediately be independently verified.

Officials confirmed the restaurant was hosting a private function but declined to identify those attending, and no official guest list was released.

PRIVATE PARTY MYSTERY

Russian media and social media users suggested the event was either a wedding reception or a birthday celebration for a senior Russian military commander.

The restaurant briefly came under criticism after its chef initially wrote on the social media platform Instagram that everyone at the restaurant was safe and that there had been only “a small incident” at the entrance.

The post was later deleted, and the restaurant apologized, calling it “extremely inappropriate” while expressing condolences to the victims’ families.

Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation, while bomb disposal experts and anti-terrorism officers searched the scene for evidence.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Authorities have not identified any suspects beyond the deceased woman, nor have they announced a possible motive.

The attack follows a series of assassinations and bombings targeting Russian military figures in and around Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow has repeatedly blamed Ukraine for several of those attacks, although Kyiv has not commented on the latest explosion and investigators have not publicly linked the bombing to any group or country.

Roads around the restaurant remained closed as investigators examined the area, forcing the cancellation of a planned cycling event nearby.

The Balzi Rossi bombing was among the deadliest attacks reported in the Russian capital in recent months and underscored continuing security concerns even far from the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

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