Russian Embassy in Rome blames Ukraine for deadly Moscow restaurant bombing

Russia's embassy in Rome on Monday accused Ukraine of being behind the deadly bombing at an Italian restaurant in Moscow over the weekend, alleging the attack was intended to intimidate Italians living and working in Russia.

In a statement, the embassy claimed that "Kyiv terrorists" sought to "scare the Italians working in Russia and to show them that they too are in the crosshairs and could become the scoundrels' next victims."

The embassy said the Saturday night blast at the Balzi Rossi restaurant killed five people and injured 19 others. It added that the restaurant's Italian chef and staff escaped unharmed due to the "vigilance and selfless dedication" of a Russian security guard.

There was no immediate response from Ukrainian authorities.

The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee had earlier reported a lower toll, saying three people, including the suspected woman bomber, a security guard and a restaurant guest, were killed, while 21 others were injured when the explosive device detonated near the entrance.

The committee did not identify the intended target or say who was responsible for the attack.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had on Sunday described the explosion as a "brutal terrorist act" but stopped short of assigning blame.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has neither endorsed the embassy's allegation nor explained the discrepancy in casualty figures. It also did not issue a separate statement on the incident.

Meanwhile, several Russian media outlets claimed the attack may have targeted a senior Russian military officer celebrating his birthday at the restaurant. Some reports identified the alleged target as Col-Gen Alexander Chaiko, recently appointed chief of Russia's aerospace forces, though the claims remain unverified.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has repeatedly blamed Kyiv for attacks on senior military officials.

Among the incidents cited by Russian authorities are the April 2025 car bombing that killed Lt Gen Yaroslav Moskalik, the December 2024 bombing that killed Lt Gen Igor Kirillov, and attacks on Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov and Lt Gen Vladimir Alexeyev. Ukraine has acknowledged involvement only in Kirillov's killing, while denying or declining to comment on several other cases.

Russia has also accused Ukraine of involvement in the killings of Daria Dugina and pro-Kremlin military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Kyiv denied any role in Dugina's death and has not confirmed involvement in the attack on Tatarsky.