On Kudrinskaya Square the police cordon has been lifted outside the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant. Investigators have left the scene.
On Saturday night it had been surrounded by heavily armed police; a string of ambulances and emergency services vehicles had been parked outside.
Standing next to the restaurant’s summer terrace I spot signs of what happened here. A shattered window, pock-marked walls – a bomb had exploded with deadly consequences.
Russian state media reports at least three people were killed and 21 injured.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee believes that a woman with an improvised explosive device had tried to walk into the restaurant. Russian news outlets have suggested she may have been a courier trying to deliver a package to one of the guests at a private function; she may not have known the true contents of the parcel. A security guard prevented her from entering. Moments later the device detonated.
Since the attack there have been unconfirmed reports that a senior Russian military commander was at the restaurant that night. However, there is still no official confirmation of the guest list and who exactly had been attending the private dinner.
The Kremlin has yet to comment. But in a statement posted on Sunday, the Russian Embassy in Italy blamed the restaurant attack on Ukraine. There was no identification, though, of the Russian military as the potential target.
“It is clear that when planning a terrorist attack on one of the best Italian restaurants in Moscow, the Kyiv terrorists wanted to scare Italians working in Russia…” the embassy declared.
Most of the people I talk to on Kudrinskaya Square have no doubt that there is a direct connection between an explosion in a restaurant and the war in Ukraine.
After all, in the last couple of years there have been several bomb attacks on senior Russian military figures – Moscow has blamed those on Kyiv.
“The explosions, the deaths, they frighten me,” Ludmila tells me. “It’s probably linked to the war that’s going on.”
Then I speak to Galina.
“This is the work of Britain, this is your work,” Galina says, angry at UK support for Ukraine.
At this point it gets personal.
“I’ve seen you asking our president nasty questions,” Galina says, “It makes me want to come up and punch you.”
Alexandra had been walking her dog near the restaurant when the bomb exploded.
“I heard a loud bang. I realised immediately that it was an explosion. I live here in the building. It’s terrible.”
A bomb in a restaurant is a major news story. Yet over the weekend it received minimal coverage on Russian TV.
The Sunday morning news bulletin on Russia-1 reported on Russian strikes on Ukraine, celebrations of Russian Paratroopers’ Day (as well as Russian Railway Workers’ Day), plus the latest developments regarding Donald Trump and Iran.
There was no mention of the explosion in the Moscow restaurant.
That may reflect the Russian authorities’ desire to avoid a sense of alarm among the public.
For Alexandra, it may be too late.
“I can’t get over this, I can’t,” Alexandra tells me, “Because it basically happened right in front of me. It was terrible. I just don’t know how I’m going to get over this.”
