Russian state news agency TASS, citing official sources, reported Saturday evening that three people were killed and 15 wounded in an explosion near a cafe in central Moscow. The updated casualty figure follows earlier reports of 20 wounded in what was described as a blast at a restaurant hosting a birthday party for a Russian general.
Russian state news agency TASS reported Saturday evening, citing official sources, that three people were killed and 15 wounded in an explosion near a cafe in central Moscow. The updated casualty figure revises earlier reports that had placed the number of wounded at 20 or 21, while the death toll remains unchanged. The new figure was reported by TASS after the initial reports emerged earlier in the evening.
The Zioneer began tracking the incident at 20:42 Jerusalem, when initial media reports indicated that at least three people were killed and 21 wounded in an explosion at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Kudrinskaya Square. Subsequent reports said the restaurant was closed for a private event and that the blast was reportedly caused by a gas cylinder. Unverified reports then indicated that several senior officers were present, and later, the venue was identified as hosting a birthday party for General Alexander Chayko, commander of Russia's aerospace forces. The casualty figure was then revised to 20 wounded, and now TASS reports 15 wounded, citing official sources. The source quality has evolved from initial media reports to official Russian state agency confirmation.
The explosion is the latest in a series of security incidents in the Russian capital amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. As The Zioneer reported on Tuesday, 390 Ukrainian drones struck Moscow, triggering a massive fire at a distribution center near the Wildberries retail complex. The war has repeatedly reached into the heart of Russia, with drone and missile attacks on the capital and other cities.
The cause of the explosion remains unconfirmed. Initial reports of a gas cylinder blast have not been officially corroborated, and it is not yet clear whether the incident was an accident or a targeted attack. The identities of the victims have not been released.
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