Bombing at Moscow restaurant kills 3 - authorities

An explosion near an upscale restaurant in central Moscow has killed three people and injured at least 21, according to authorities. The blast occurred shortly before 8 p.m. local time on Saturday, close to an Italian restaurant situated in one of Moscow's prominent Stalin-era skyscrapers on Kudrinskaya Square.

Russia's Anti-Terrorism Committee reported that an unidentified woman attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard. The ensuing explosion killed the woman, the security guard, and a customer at the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant. The injured sustained wounds of varying severity.

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An unidentified woman had tried to get into the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard.

Law enforcement officers cordoned off the area following the incident. Authorities have not yet released the identities of the deceased or injured, nor have they officially attributed responsibility for the attack. This event occurs more than four years into Russia's full-scale war with Ukraine.

Earlier this year, Russia's FSB security service announced increased protection for high-ranking military officials, citing a series of assassinations and attempted killings blamed on Kyiv. The Kommersant daily newspaper, citing its own sources, suggested the bomb was intended to harm patrons on the restaurant's outdoor terrace and may have been detonated remotely. The restaurant's website indicated it was closed for a private event at the time of the explosion.

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The woman, the security guard and a customer at the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant had been killed in the blast that followed.