Moscow (Rajeev Sharma): A powerful explosion outside a restaurant in central Moscow claimed the lives of three people and left 21 others injured on Saturday evening, triggering a massive emergency response and an anti-terror investigation by Russian authorities.
The incident occurred at around 8 pm near a restaurant located in one of the Russian capital’s well-known Stalin-era skyscrapers at Kudrinskaya Square. Officials said preliminary findings suggest the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly being carried by a woman who was attempting to enter the premises.
According to investigators, the woman carrying the device, a security guard and a restaurant visitor were killed in the explosion. Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the victims. Several of those injured are reported to have suffered serious wounds and are undergoing treatment at nearby hospitals.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed that the explosion involved a homemade explosive device. Officials said the woman was stopped by security personnel before entering the restaurant, after which the device detonated outside the entrance.
While initial reports suggested the explosion had originated inside the restaurant, the management later clarified that the blast occurred outside the building. The establishment had reportedly been closed to the public for a private event at the time of the incident.
Some Russian media organisations, quoting unnamed sources, reported that investigators are examining whether the explosive device was remotely triggered by another individual, raising the possibility that the woman carrying it may not have been aware of the timing of the detonation. However, this claim has not been officially confirmed.
Following the explosion, police and emergency teams sealed off the area around Kudrinskaya Square. Heavily armed security personnel were deployed, traffic was suspended in the vicinity, and access to the nearby Barrikadnaya Metro Station was temporarily restricted as forensic teams examined the scene.
The blast comes amid heightened security concerns in Russia, where several attacks targeting prominent military and public figures have occurred over the past year. Moscow has previously accused Ukraine of involvement in a number of such incidents, though authorities have not indicated any connection between those cases and the latest explosion.
Investigations are continuing to determine the exact circumstances of the blast, identify those responsible and establish whether others were involved in planning or executing the attack.
