The attack at the Balzi Rossi restaurant is believed to have targeted the commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, Alexander Chaiko. Meanwhile, Moscow intensifies pressure on opposition figures, and Kazakhstan introduces new migration barriers.
Three days after the explosion at the prestigious Moscow restaurant Balzi Rossi, which occurred on August 1, 2026, details are emerging about the victims and the target of the attack, while the political situation in Russia and its neighborhood intensifies. Although the authorities classify the attack as a terrorist act, there is still no official confirmation of who was targeted, but unofficial sources suggest it was an assassination attempt on General Alexander Chaiko, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces. General Chaiko, who was appointed to this position in May 2026, previously led operations in Syria and the offensive of Russian forces in the Kyiv region in 2022, where numerous evidence of killings and torture of civilians was found after de-occupation.
According to the report of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, the explosion occurred when an unknown woman attempted to bring an improvised explosive device hidden in a gift box. She was stopped by a security guard at the entrance, and at that moment the device was activated. Initially, it was reported that a courier, a security guard, and a visitor who was on the terrace were killed at the scene, with a total of 21 people injured. Later, it was confirmed that two more people died from their injuries in the hospital.
However, the numbers vary depending on the source. While the Committee initially reported 21 injured, the Russian embassy in Italy announced on August 3 that five people had died and 19 had sustained "serious injuries". The official identities of the victims have not been released, but investigative media outlets such as "Verstka" and "Agentstvo" report that they include members of General Chaiko's immediate family.
General Chaiko, who turned 55 five days before the explosion, was reportedly celebrating his birthday and his new appointment as head of the Aerospace Forces at the restaurant. According to unofficial information, among the victims are his 25-year-old daughter Maria Chaiko (Peredriy) and her husband, 27-year-old Danil Peredriy. Blogger Anatoly Shariy claims that Peredriy died shielding his wife, but this information has not been confirmed by other sources.
It is suspected that Alexander Peredriy, Danil Peredriy's father and General Chaiko's matchmaker, as well as Evdokia Kirilova, the 20-year-old niece of the general's wife, also sustained injuries. Their condition is unknown. General Chaiko himself, according to available information, was not injured. After the explosion, the Balzi Rossi restaurant initially announced that "the restaurant and kitchen are in ideal condition" and thanked supporters, but soon apologized, announced a temporary closure, and promised to help the families of the victims. Journalist Ksenia Sobchak wrote that the restaurant could reopen as early as August 5.
The incident also sparked a diplomatic storm. The Russian embassy in Italy accused Ukraine of planning a terrorist attack aimed at intimidating Italian citizens working in Russia. "By planning a terrorist attack in one of the best Italian restaurants in Moscow, the Kyiv terrorists wanted to scare Italians working in Russia, to show them that they are also in the crosshairs and could become the next victim of scoundrels at any moment," the embassy's statement read.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sharply rejected these claims. "Why would Ukrainians scare Italians? It's more likely that Russians scare Italians, given that we support Ukraine," Tajani said. Ukraine has not commented on the attack. The explosion also raised questions about security protocols for high-ranking officials. Retired FSB Lieutenant Colonel Alexei Filatov stated that, given the statistics of successful terrorist attacks on Russian officials, it is inappropriate to hold celebrations in ordinary restaurants. Political analyst Ekaterina Shulman, meanwhile, shared on social media instructions on how military personnel can avoid assassinations, which are allegedly distributed in military hospitals and include advice such as partially changing one's appearance and avoiding unexpected packages.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities continue to pressure opposition politicians. A new administrative proceeding has been initiated against Boris Nadezhdin, who submitted his candidacy documents for the State Duma elections in June. He is accused of participating in the activities of an "undesirable organization" because he gave an interview to the Meduza portal, published on July 14, 2026. This offense carries a fine of up to 15,000 rubles.
This is just the latest in a series of pressures on Nadezhdin, who was declared a "foreign agent" by the Ministry of Justice on July 10. Already on July 13, he was detained and fined 1,000 rubles for displaying "extremist symbols" because he posted a photo of Alexei Navalny. Although he was banned from leaving the country, Nadezhdin posted a video message from Paris on August 3, confirming that he had left Russia.
An additional blow for Russian citizens comes from Kazakhstan, which, after the start of the war in Ukraine and mobilization, became one of the main destinations for emigration. The country's Ministry of Internal Affairs has published a draft decree on the introduction of electronic entry permits with a fee. The new system is planned to be implemented between August and December 2026.
The draft, which will be open for public discussion until August 17, is part of a migration policy reform initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Although the fee amount is not yet known, the document provides for "differentiated fees" to finance digital infrastructure. At the same time, human rights organizations warn that Kazakhstan is becoming a less safe haven for Russians due to increasingly frequent deportations at Moscow's request.
