Russia’s Foreign Ministry Calls Moscow Restaurant Bombing ‘Attempt to Intimidate Italians’

The Moscow restaurant bombing over the weekend was an attempt to “intimidate Italians working in Russia,” according to Russia’s embassy in Italy.The bombing took place at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday evening, when Colonel General Alexander Chaiko, the commander-in-chief of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, was reportedly celebrating his birthday with friends and family.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The blast killed five and injured close to two dozen, reportedly including the general’s daughter. The restaurant is operated by Carmine Alfieri, a chef from southern Italy’s Naples.The Russian Embassy in Italy blamed Kyiv for the attack and extrapolated it as a means to intimidate Italians working in Moscow and the European nation as a whole, because the attack took place at a high-end Italian restaurant, according to independent Russian outlet Astra on Monday.“It’s clear that by planning a terrorist attack on one of Moscow’s finest Italian restaurants, the Kyiv terrorists wanted to intimidate Italians working in Russia, to show them that they, too, were under attack and could become the next victim of these scoundrels at any moment,” it said.The embassy claimed the damage was minimized thanks to “the vigilance and selfless dedication to his professional duty of a Russian security service employee.”The Astra Telegram channel reported that the restaurant was hosting a birthday celebration for a Russian general at the time of the explosion, noting a large presence of military-plated vehicles parked outside the venue. Other Topics of Interest Blast at Moscow Restaurant Kills 5 Amid General’s Party An explosion at an upscale restaurant in central Moscow killed five people on Saturday evening, with reports indicating the venue was hosting a birthday party for a Russian general. Journalist Oleg Kashin suggested the event may have been a birthday party for Chaiko, though Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the target of the attack.While Rome has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv against Russia’s invasion, Italy had historically shared close ties with Russia and the former Soviet Union, with some companies having set up businesses and trade deals with the country.In the 1960s, Italian carmaker Fiat struck a deal with the Soviet government to manufacture a rugged version of the Fiat 124 small family car inside the Soviet Union, which would later become the Lada.According to The Moscow Times in May 2025, 70% of Italian companies in Russia had stayed in the country following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine despite the exile of Western businesses. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.