Three people are dead and 21 injured after a homemade explosive detonated outside an Italian restaurant near Kudrinskaya square in central Moscow, state media reported. The blast occurred at about 20:00 local time, 17:00 GMT, at a venue housed in one of the city's Stalin-era skyscrapers, where a private function was under way.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee said a woman carrying the device attempted to enter the restaurant but was intercepted by a security guard. The explosive went off during that encounter, killing the woman, the guard and a restaurant visitor, the committee told state outlets.
Initial accounts suggested the explosion had taken place in the establishment's kitchen, but the restaurant later issued a statement saying everything inside was fine and that "there was a problem outside." Witnesses described scenes of people being carried out covered in blood following the blast.
Authorities briefly closed roads around Kudrinskaya square and sealed off the area. Dozens of cyclists who had been assembling for an evening ride nearby cancelled their event. Video published by RIA news agency showed heavily armed law enforcement officers at the scene and barriers preventing public access.
The incident unfolded on a busy central square and prompted an immediate security response. Officials and emergency services remained on site, and the restaurant and surrounding streets were closed to passers-by while officers worked. Further official updates have been supplied to state media, and the public was kept away from the cordoned area as the situation developed.
