Three people have been killed and 21 injured after an explosion reportedly near a restaurant terrace in Kudrinskaya Square, Moscow, on Saturday evening at around 8:10pm (6:10pm BST), according to the Interior Ministry
Ambulances and special services vehicles are parked near the site where an improvised explosive device detonated at a restaurant in central Moscow, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Three people have died and 21 sustained injuries following a blast near a restaurant in Moscow, according to police.
The explosion occurred close to a restaurant terrace on Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow on Saturday evening at approximately 8:10pm (6:10pm BST), the Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement on the Russian social media platform Max.
Authorities informed state news agency Ria Novosti that the blast resulted in “three deaths and 15 injured, of varying degrees of seriousness”. The committee subsequently updated the injury count from 15 people to 21, bringing the total number of casualties to at least 24.
Those wounded were receiving medical treatment, reports the Express.
The fatalities comprised “a security guard who prevented an unknown woman suspected of trying to carry the explosive device into the restaurant, the unknown woman and one of the visitors,” according to a committee statement reported by the Tass news agency.
A policeman stands near the site where an improvised explosive device detonated at a restaurant in central Moscow, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Footage released by the agency depicted heavily armed law enforcement personnel at the location, which had been cordoned off from the public, the BBC reports.
The cause remains unclear, though the Baza Telegram channel reported it occurred in the establishment’s kitchen.
A witness informed the channel the venue was hosting a wedding celebration with roughly 50 guests in attendance, adding that they witnessed people being carried out bloodied following the blast.
Dozens of cyclists had been assembling nearby for an evening ride across the city but the event was called off. Police and emergency services were dispatched to the scene, while authorities stated that the cause of the explosion was being investigated.
Russian media reported that traffic near the square has been temporarily halted, and the entrances to the Barrikadnaya metro station have been shut.
