Senior Russian official survives alleged assassination attempt; son-in-law killed, daughter critical in Moscow restaurant bombing

A senior Russian general reportedly survived an apparent assassination attempt after a homemade bomb exploded at an upscale Moscow restaurant, killing five people and injuring 19 others, according to the Daily Mail. The blast took place at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Kudrinskaya Square, just over a mile from the Kremlin, where a private celebration was reportedly being held for the 55th birthday of Colonel General Alexander Chayko, commander-in-chief of Russia’s Aerospace Forces and a senior military commander. The £85,000 party was reportedly filled with Moscow politicians, high-ranking military and intelligence officers and top bureaucrats.

According to the Daily Mail, the explosive had been disguised as a gift and was brought towards the restaurant by a woman. She was stopped near the venue’s outdoor terrace before the device detonated. Chayko reportedly survived the explosion. The Daily Mail reported that his son-in-law, 27-year-old Daniil Peredriy, was killed, while Chayko’s 25-year-old daughter, Maria Peredriy, suffered an “open traumatic brain injury”. The newspaper reported that Peredriy was a former professional ice hockey player and was among two people who died in hospital after being critically injured in the blast. The device was reportedly homemade and packed with metal balls. The Daily Mail said investigators estimated its explosive force at the equivalent of around 1 kilogram of TNT.

The blast reportedly occurred at about 8.10 pm local time, sending emergency crews and heavily armed police to the area around Kudrinskaya Square. Traffic was temporarily restricted and entrances to the nearby Barrikadnaya metro station were closed. Russian authorities initially reported three deaths and 15 injuries, while the National Anti-Terrorism Committee later said 21 people had been injured. The casualty figures subsequently reported by different outlets have varied.

A veteran of Russia’s Alpha counter-terrorism unit, Sergey Goncharov, told TASS that the woman carrying the device may not have known what was inside the package. He suggested she could have been recruited as a courier after being offered money and told simply to deliver a parcel to someone at a birthday celebration. The identity of the woman and the motive behind the bombing remained unclear. There has been no official confirmation that Chayko was the intended target or that Ukraine was behind the blast.

The attack came amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine and a series of strikes targeting Russian military figures and infrastructure. Chayko has been a prominent Russian commander since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Daily Mail reported that Ukraine had branded him a war criminal in June and accused forces under his command of involvement in the aerial bombardment of Ukraine. He commanded Russian forces in the Kyiv region during the opening phase of the 2022 invasion. Ukrainian authorities have linked Russian troops under his command to atrocities in Bucha, where hundreds of civilians were killed. Chayko has also been associated with Russia’s long-range bombing campaign using Tu-95MS strategic bombers. The Daily Mail reported that Ukrainian forces had separately attacked his Engels-2 airbase in Russia’s Saratov region on Sunday. The reported bombing also came as Russia continued to suffer losses among senior military personnel.