Russian Aerospace Forces commander Alexander Chayko targeted in Moscow restaurant bombing, source says

Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Alexander Chayko was the target of an explosion at Moscow's Balzi Rossi restaurant on Aug. 1, a source familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.

The alleged assassination attempt against Chayko followed the attack on Ukraine's Khartiia Brigade Commander Oleksandr Obolienskyi in Kharkiv in late July by a man whose name has not been disclosed by law enforcement.

The suspect was recruited by Russian intelligence services, which posed as the Security Service of Ukraine, and was allegedly convinced that the commander was a "traitor," according to Ukrainska Pravda.

Late on Aug. 1, an explosion ripped through a restaurant in central Moscow, killing five people and injuring 21 others.

"We will definitely respond to this attempted strike against Ukraine and the Ukrainian commander," Zelensky wrote on X a day prior.

The source did not rule out that the attempted attack on Obolienskyi in Kharkiv and the following explosion in Moscow could be linked. The source added that there was no immediate information on Chayko's condition or whether he was injured in the attack.

The source said the explosion in Moscow was the third such incident in "recent times" involving an assassination attempt against Russians linked to military production or the Russian Armed Forces.

The source mentioned the assassination attempt against Andrey Cherezov, head of the Russian Laboratory of Air Transport, a Tula-based manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles, on July 29. Another alleged assassination attempt has not been made public, the source added.

The general's daughter, Maria Chayko, was also believed to have been injured in the explosion, Russian independent outlet Verstka reported, citing an undisclosed source close to the restaurant's management. Maria's husband, Daniil Peredriy, was also believed to be among the injured, the outlet said.

Russian independent media outlet Astra reported that the restaurant was closed to the public on the day of the explosion for a private event. An eyewitness told Astra that vehicles with black license plates, which are used by the Russian Armed Forces and several other law enforcement agencies, were also parked near the restaurant.

A security guard reportedly stopped a woman who was attempting to bring a box into the restaurant and was told it contained a gift. Suspecting something was wrong, the guard decided to inspect the parcel, at which point an explosion occurred. The explosive device was detonated remotely, according to Russia's pro-state newspaper Kommersant.

After the incident, photos and videos from the scene circulated online. One image showed the words "Alexander 55" displayed on the stage. The commander of the Aerospace Forces had turned 55 just days earlier, on July 27.

Ukrainian authorities had not commented on the incident in Moscow at the time of publication.

Russian officials described the bombing as a terrorist attack but did not publicly identify its intended target.