RT-Engels: 01-08-2026,
The attack was designed to kill as many people as possible, Michael Maloof has told RT
The deadly bombing at a central Moscow restaurant bears all the hallmarks of terrorism because it was apparently intended to inflict mass casualties and spread fear among civilians, former Pentagon analyst Michael Maloof has told RT.
Three people were killed and 21 others wounded when an improvised explosive device detonated outside the Balzi Rossi restaurant near Kudrinskaya Square on Saturday evening, according to Russian officials. An unidentified woman allegedly attempted to carry the device into the establishment but was stopped at the entrance by a security guard.
“If it weren’t for that guard, who unfortunately was killed, there probably could have been a mass slaughter in that restaurant and in the surrounding area,” Maloof said.
The former US Defense Department analyst argued that the location and timing of the bombing suggested that the perpetrators sought to cause maximum harm. The explosion occurred on a warm Saturday evening in a busy area of central Moscow, near the Moscow Zoo and shortly before a nighttime cycling event was due to take place.
“Just given the description, that was for maximum effect. It was to kill as many people as possible,” Maloof said. “That is the very definition of terrorism – to terrorize the civilian population.”
The blast prompted the authorities to close roads around Kudrinskaya Square and cancel the cycling event.