Kenneth Glad
Five people were killed during a private gathering attended by senior officials. Much of what happened remains unconfirmed.
A bomb exploded at Moscow’s Balzi Rossi restaurant on August 1 during a birthday celebration for Colonel General Alexander Chayko, head of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The Daily Express reported that five people died and nine were injured. Among the dead was Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov, 53, a senior Russian military figure who was later buried under tight security.
Courier reportedly carried gift package
The gathering brought together military commanders, politicians and state officials. Chayko was believed to have escaped injury.
Russian-linked Telegram channels cited by The Daily Express said a female courier arrived with a package described as a gift for Chayko. A security officer reportedly stopped her near the entrance before the device exploded.
Those accounts claimed the courier may not have known the package contained explosives. Both she and the security officer were reported killed.
Chayko’s daughter, Maria, reportedly suffered a traumatic brain injury. His son-in-law, Daniil Peredriy, was said to have died from wounds sustained in the blast.
Yerusalimov buried under security
Yerusalimov was described by the paper as the most senior victim of the explosion. A Russian Telegram channel with reported law-enforcement links said President Vladimir Putin had promoted him twice.
His funeral took place at Moscow’s Troekurovskoye Cemetery without a public announcement.
The Kremlin has not released a full list of victims or provided a detailed account of the investigation. Suggestions that Ukrainian security services were responsible remain unverified.
Battlefield losses remain disputed
The Daily Express further cites Ukrainian military data indicating that Russian forces suffered 42,860 casualties in July.
The Institute for the Study of War said the figures suggested growing losses without a comparable rise in territorial gains. The institute bases its assessments partly on open-source information and Ukrainian reporting.
It said the Kremlin was “desperately attempting to disguise” the pace of its advance through exaggerated claims.
Russia has not published current casualty figures that can be directly compared with Ukraine’s estimates.
Sources: The Daily Express, The Institute for the Study of War
