A woman carrying the explosive was stopped at the entrance before the device detonated during a private event, Russian authorities said.
MOSCOW — A bomb exploded at an upscale restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, killing three people and wounding at least 21 others in an attack the city’s mayor called an act of terrorism.
The Aug. 1 explosion occurred at Balzi Rossi, an Italian restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square. Russian state media, citing local officials, said those killed included the woman who carried the device, a security guard and a restaurant patron. No group had publicly claimed responsibility as of Sunday, and authorities had not identified a motive.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said a homemade explosive device caused the blast. According to a report by the state news agency Ria Novosti, a woman tried to carry the bomb into the restaurant but was refused entry by a security guard. The device exploded near the entrance. Authorities had not released the woman’s identity or explained how she obtained the bomb.
The restaurant was closed to the public for a private function at the time, Ria Novosti reported. Officials did not identify the event’s organizers or guests, and claims circulating about the nature of the gathering had not been confirmed by Russian authorities. Investigators also had not said whether the restaurant, the private gathering or a particular person was the intended target.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described the bombing Sunday as a “brutal terrorist act.” He said the injured were receiving treatment in city hospitals and that investigators were working to identify everyone responsible. Officials had not provided a detailed public breakdown of the victims’ conditions.
Images and video from the scene showed police blocking streets around the restaurant while ambulances and emergency vehicles gathered nearby. Heavily armed officers guarded the area as investigators examined the site. The blast occurred on the ground floor of a high-rise building in a busy part of central Moscow.
The Moscow Investigative Committee opened an investigation after the explosion. Russia’s anti-terrorism authorities also joined the response. Officials had not announced any arrests or named suspected accomplices by Sunday afternoon.
The bombing comes amid heightened security concerns in Russia following several attacks involving prominent military and pro-Kremlin figures. Earlier in 2026, Russia’s Federal Security Service said protection would be strengthened around senior government and military officials after a series of assassination attempts in Russian cities.
Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine for some previous bomb attacks, including the April 2026 car bombing that killed Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a senior Russian military official. Ukraine did not publicly claim responsibility for that attack. Ukrainian security officials previously acknowledged involvement in the December 2024 killing of Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, who died when a bomb concealed near his Moscow apartment exploded.
Authorities had not linked Saturday’s restaurant bombing to Ukraine, the war or any previous attack. No evidence establishing such a connection had been made public. Investigators continued examining the explosive device, security footage and events leading to the woman’s arrival at the restaurant.
The area around Balzi Rossi remained under police control as the investigation continued. Russian officials had not released the names of the dead or injured, identified a suspect beyond the deceased woman, or announced when additional findings would be made public.
Author note: Last updated August 2, 2026.