At least three people were killed and 21 wounded when an improvised bomb exploded near a luxury restaurant in central Moscow, authorities announced.
According to police, the blast occurred just before 20:00 local time near an Italian restaurant located in one of seven skyscrapers built during the Stalin era on Kudrinskaya Square.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) said an unidentified woman carrying the improvised explosive device attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard. The woman, the guard, and a customer of the Italian restaurant Balzi Rossi were killed instantly, according to NAK.
REN TV cited a source saying two people who had been taken to hospital later died of their wounds, bringing the death toll to five, though that figure had not been officially confirmed. The broadcaster also reported that six people remained in critical condition.
Unverified speculation on social media linked the attack to the war in Ukraine, though authorities did not confirm any such connection.
