'Brutal Terrorist Attack': Explosion At Moscow Restaurant Leaves 3 Dead, Over 20 Injured

The deadly explosion outside an upscale Moscow restaurant was a "brutal terror attack," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, promising the perpetrators would be punished. But many questions remain.

The deadly explosion outside an upscale Moscow restaurant was a "brutal terror attack," Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

Source : DW

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

An explosion at a restaurant in central Moscow killed at least three people, including the suspected bomber on Saturday night, authorities said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described it as a "brutal terrorist attack."

"Law enforcement agencies are investigating the circumstances of the incident. Those responsible for this crime will certainly be found and face the punishment they deserve," he said in an online post on Sunday.

Russia's Anti-Terrorism Committee said a woman carrying "a homemade explosive device" tried to enter the restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square but was stopped by a security guard.

The device exploded at the entrance, killing the woman, the guard and a restaurant patron.

What do we know about the explosion?

State news agency RIA Novosti reported that at least 21 other people were injured in the blast, which occurred shortly before 8 p.m. local time (5 p.m. UTC).

The restaurant's website said the venue had been closed on Saturday for a private event.

Heavily armed law enforcement officers sealed off the area and launched an investigation.

Authorities did not immediately identify those they believed to be behind the attack.

Russia has faced several attacks since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022. They blamed a ‌series of assassinations and attempted killings on Kyiv. Russian officials have yet to comment on any possible Ukrainian involvement into the Kudrinskaya Square blast.

Ukraine hits targets deep inside Russia overnight

However, Ukraine used drones to attack other parts of Russia on Saturday evening and early on Sunday, including a bombing which targeted an apartment block and killed two in the city Engels, some 900 kilometers (560 miles) southeast of Moscow.

Russia's Defense Ministry also said Kyiv struck a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, a major online retailer in Russia, with the Ukrainian drones hitting a site in the Samara Oblast, deep inside Russian territory. Regional Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

Russian officials also reported over a 100 Ukrainian strikes in the Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine. They said Kyiv forces used artillery, rocket launchers, and drones, leaving 14 people injured.

Over 200 Ukrainian drones have allegedly been shot down during the wave of attacks.

Overall, Russia claimed 635 downed Ukrainian drones overnight.

Meanwhile, at least one person was killed and seven wounded in the Russian attack on Ukraine's Kherson, with the attack involving artillery fire.

In Dnipro, seven passengers were wounded in a drone strike on a minibus, with the regional military administrator Oleksandr Hanzha describing it as a "deliberate and cynical attack on civilians."

At least nine people were killed and 33 injured in Russian strikes on Kyiv earlier this weekend.

Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.