The Russian Foreign Ministry Put Forward An Absurd Account Of The Explosion At A Moscow Restaurant

• 3.08.2026, 13:25

The Italians were allegedly the target of the attack.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has officially commented for the first time on the explosion at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Moscow, which killed five people and injured 19 others.

According to a statement from the Russian Embassy in Italy, the Russian side asserts that the goal of the “Kyiv terrorists” was to intimidate Italian citizens working in Russia.

“It is clear that, by planning a terrorist attack at one of Moscow’s finest Italian restaurants, the Kyiv terrorists wanted to intimidate Italians working in Russia, to show them that they, too, are in the crosshairs and could become the next victims of these scoundrels at any moment”, the statement reads.

The embassy also stated that “it was only thanks to the vigilance and selfless dedication to his professional duty of a Russian security service officer that the head chef from Naples K. Alfieri and members of his team were not harmed.”

In addition, the diplomatic mission stated that the explosion at the Balzi Rossi restaurant, as well as other terrorist attacks in Russia, Monaco, and “other locations” allegedly indicate that “the Ukrainian terrorist scourge is already beginning to spread across Europe and Italy in particular.”

At the same time, independent journalists and Russian Z-bloggers are putting forward a different version of events. According to their reports, on August 1, the restaurant was closed for a private event celebrating a 55th birthday. They identify the most likely birthday celebrant as General Alexander Chaiko, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, who turned 55 on July 27.

According to available information, Chaiko himself was not injured; however, it is alleged that his daughter and son-in-law may have been injured.

In 2022, Alexander Chaiko commanded the Russian offensive on Kyiv and is subject to European Union sanctions in connection with his alleged involvement in war crimes in Bucha.