Moscow Restaurant Blast: 3 Dead, 21 Wounded in IED Attack

On the evening of August 1, 2026, an improvised explosive device detonated at the Balzi Rossi restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square in central Moscow, killing three people and injuring at least 21 others. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) has launched a terrorism investigation into the incident.

The explosion occurred at approximately 7:55 PM Moscow time (4:55 PM GMT) on Saturday, August 1, 2026. Some earlier reports cited 8:00 PM or 8:10 PM, but the NAC’s official statement fixed the time at 7:55 PM.

The blast took place at the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant, located on the ground floor of one of Moscow’s landmark “Seven Sisters” Stalin-era skyscrapers at Building 1, Kudrinskaya Square in the city’s Presnensky district. The restaurant was closed to the public at the time, hosting a private event.

The explosion killed three people and injured at least 21 others. Early reports from the Interior Ministry put the injury count at 15, but the National Anti-Terrorism Committee later confirmed the number had risen to 21.

The three deceased are:

• A female suspect — an unknown woman who attempted to bring the explosive device into the restaurant. She was killed when the device detonated.
• A security guard — who prevented the woman from entering the restaurant with the device. The guard died in the blast.
• A restaurant visitor — one of the patrons inside the venue at the time.

The injured were transported to medical facilities by ambulance. According to unconfirmed reports from Russian Telegram channels, at least two of the wounded were in critical condition.

Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed that the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) — a homemade bomb.

The sequence of events, according to the NAC:

1. An unknown woman arrived at the restaurant carrying the IED.
2. A security guard prevented her from entering the premises.
3. The device detonated at or near the entrance, killing the woman, the guard, and one patron.

The chef of Balzi Rossi, Carmine Alfieri, posted on Instagram that the restaurant staff were safe and that “our restaurant and kitchen are in perfect condition; there was just a minor issue at the restaurant entrance”. The restaurant’s statement confirmed that the explosion occurred outside the establishment, not inside.

At the time of the explosion, the Balzi Rossi restaurant was hosting a private event — reportedly a wedding celebration. According to the Telegram channel 112, approximately 50 people were in attendance.

Some media outlets initially reported that the event was a birthday party for a Russian general. Several Russian generals reportedly have birthdays on August 1, including Major General Vladimir Seliverstov and Lieutenant General Alexander Yaroshevich. However, the dominant account from Russian sources points to a wedding celebration.

Russia’s Investigative Committee — the country’s equivalent of the FBI — has launched a terrorism investigation into the incident.

Key developments:

• Investigators and criminologists are working at the scene.
• The National Anti-Terrorism Committee is leading the counter-terrorism response.
• Search and investigative measures are ongoing to establish all circumstances.

The police and Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya) restricted access near the high-rise building on Kudrinskaya Square. The area was sealed off with heavily armed law enforcement officers present.

In the immediate aftermath, there was significant confusion about the cause:

• Initial reports suggested a gas canister explosion in the restaurant’s kitchen.
• Social media users pointed out that the building has no gas supply, calling the gas leak theory “ridiculous”.
• The restaurant itself clarified that the explosion occurred outside, not inside the venue.
• The NAC later confirmed it was an improvised explosive device.

The explosion caused significant disruption in central Moscow:

• Road closures — traffic was temporarily suspended on several streets near Kudrinskaya Square, including exits from the Garden Ring onto Barrikadnaya Street and into Kudrinsky Lane.
• Cycling festival cancelled — Moscow’s Night Cycling Festival was cancelled “for technical reasons”.
• Metro unaffected — Krasnopresnenskaya and Barrikadnaya metro stations continued operating normally.

The attack comes amid heightened tensions, with Russia’s war in Ukraine ongoing since 2022. Ukrainian intelligence has previously been accused of, or has claimed responsibility for, attacks on Russian figures and infrastructure. However, no group has claimed responsibility for this attack as of this writing, and Russian authorities have not publicly identified any suspects beyond the deceased woman.

The venue — an upscale Italian restaurant in a Stalin-era landmark building — and the timing — a private celebration with approximately 50 guests — suggest the attack may have been targeted, though investigators have not confirmed this.