Explosive device filled with metal balls: The senior official who was the target of the explosion in Moscow
The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Alexander Chaiko, was supposed to celebrate his birthday at the restaurant where the explosion occurred. Russian authorities have not confirmed if he was present or if he was injured in the blast. At this stage, no organization has claimed responsibility for the incident.
The target of the explosive device blast that occurred last Saturday at a luxury restaurant in Moscow was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Alexander Chaiko, who was supposed to celebrate his 55th birthday at the venue, according to reports by pro-Russian bloggers. Three people were killed and 21 were injured in the explosion.
The blast occurred around 20:00 on the ground floor of a building on Kudrinskaya Square in central Moscow. According to Russian authorities, a woman attempted to bring in an improvised explosive device weighing about a kilogram that was filled with metal balls. The woman, the restaurant's security guard, and another person were killed in the blast, while 21 others were injured to varying degrees.
So far, Russian authorities have not confirmed that he was the target of the explosion or even if he was present at the scene. Furthermore, it is unknown if he was harmed in the incident.
Chaiko was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces last May. At the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, he commanded the Russian forces that invaded northern Ukraine towards Kyiv. In this capacity, he was responsible for the occupation of the Bucha area, where his forces carried out a brutal massacre of the local population. The Security Service of Ukraine accused him, among other things, of ordering the bombing of residential buildings in March 2022, an attack in which, according to Ukraine, more than 30 people were killed. The European Union imposed sanctions on him due to his involvement in the Bucha massacre.
Background and concerns in the Kremlin
Russian authorities are presenting two versions of the event: a wedding and a private celebration in honor of Chaiko's birthday. The first version claims that the perpetrator did not know she was carrying explosive material, which was hidden and activated by a third party when she was stopped for inspection by the security guard.
According to the second version, the perpetrator intended to activate the device inside the restaurant, where other prominent figures in the Russian security and regime apparatus were present. At this stage, a complete blackout is being maintained in Russia regarding the identities of the diners, and there is no official confirmation that any of them were harmed.
Although hours have passed, no organization has officially claimed responsibility. Russian authorities are currently refraining from pointing an accusing finger at Ukrainian intelligence. However, the attack follows a series of assassinations and targeted killings in the heart of Russian cities over the past two years, which has led to increased alertness around public figures and senior military officials.
