Three people were killed and 21 others injured in a powerful explosion that occurred last night at the entrance to a luxury restaurant in central Moscow, just about two kilometers from the Kremlin.
Russian authorities are increasingly treating the incident as a planned assassination attempt, although the identity of the intended target remains unknown.
The blast occurred during a private event at the Italian restaurant Belzi Rossi, known as a popular venue for members of Russia's elite. According to local media reports, a woman arrived carrying a package described as a gift, raising the suspicions of a security guard at the entrance. During the security inspection, the device-believed to have been detonated remotely-exploded.
The woman carrying the package, the security guard who stopped her, and another guest whose identity has not yet been released were killed in the blast. Another 21 people were injured, several of them seriously. According to reports, the device contained explosives equivalent to approximately one kilogram of TNT, as well as metal pellets intended to maximize the blast's lethality.
Speculation has circulated on Russian social media and among military bloggers that the event was being held in honor of the recently appointed commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces, General Alexander Chaiko. However, there has been no official confirmation of this, and it remains unclear whether he was present or was the intended target.
The incident joins a series of assassinations and explosions that have taken place deep inside Russia in recent years, many of which have been attributed to Ukraine and have targeted senior military officers and figures associated with the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's drone attacks continue. Russia's Defense Ministry reported that 635 drones were intercepted over Russian territory overnight, while Ukrainian reports claimed that another logistics warehouse belonging to the online retailer Wildberries-often referred to as "Russia's Amazon"-was struck and set ablaze in the Samara region.
At the same time, Russia continues to launch missile and drone attacks against Ukraine, and the fighting between the two sides continues to intensify.