Moscow luxury restaurant bombing targeting Russian Aerospace Forces commander kills 5, injures 6

Published Aug 4, 01:17 PM UTC

On 1 August 2026, a bomb attack at the Balzi Rossi luxury restaurant in central Moscow killed five people, including the female bomber, and injured six others. The target was General Aleksandr Chaiko, commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who was celebrating his 55th birthday with family, colleagues, and senior officials. The bomb, containing shrapnel and equivalent to 1 kg of TNT, was detonated remotely after security guards became suspicious of a gift box. Moscow blamed Ukraine. The attack has inflamed pro-war nationalist bloggers, who question why generals enjoy lavish security failures while soldiers die at the front. Chaiko survived; he is a high-profile figure responsible for satellite-guided drone operations against Ukraine and has been sanctioned by the EU.