Key facts
- A bombing at a Moscow restaurant on Saturday evening killed five people and injured 19.
- Russia's foreign ministry accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack.
- Speculation suggests the intended target was Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, commander of Russia's aerospace forces.
- Reports indicate Chayko was unharmed, but his daughter was seriously injured and her husband was killed.
- Investigators believe the woman carrying the explosive device may have been unaware of its contents.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for a bombing at a restaurant in central Moscow that killed five people and injured 19, with growing speculation that a senior Russian military commander was the intended target. The explosion occurred Saturday evening near the entrance to an upscale Italian restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square. Russian prosecutors stated an unidentified woman carrying an improvised explosive device was stopped by a security guard before the device detonated. Russia's foreign ministry accused Kyiv of the attack, calling it the work of "[Volodymyr] Zelenskyy’s terrorist gang." While Russian authorities have not identified the intended target or named the victims, pro-Kremlin military bloggers and independent media outlets reported that the attack may have been aimed at Col Gen Aleksandr Chayko, commander of Russia’s aerospace forces, who was reportedly attending a banquet for his 55th birthday. Photographs from the event showed "Aleksandr 55" displayed. Chayko, a prominent military figure, reportedly escaped unharmed. However, his daughter, Maria, was seriously injured, and her husband, Daniil Peredriy, was killed. They were on the restaurant's terrace when the blast occurred. Kommersant reported that investigators believe the woman carrying the device may not have known it was a bomb and that it was detonated remotely. A member of Russia’s elite Federal Protective Service (FSO) was also reported among the victims. Kyiv has not yet commented on the incident. Ukrainian intelligence agencies have previously targeted Russian military officers and officials, employing various tactics.