RUSSIAN GENERAL KILLED IN MOSCOW RESTAURANT BOMB BLAST

Five people died in a bomb explosion at an exclusive Moscow restaurant on Saturday, 1 August, including Lt-Gen Igor Yerusalimov, according to reports. The blast occurred during the 55th birthday party of Col-Gen Alexander Chayko, commander of Russian Aerospace Forces, at the Balzi Rossi restaurant. A woman carrying a gift for Chayko was stopped by a security operative when the home-made device detonated. Both the woman and the security officer were killed in the explosion, which also wounded nine others.

Reports suggest the woman may have been used as a "suicide bomber" without her knowledge. Yerusalimov, described as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's top commanders, was positioned at the front of the restaurant when the blast occurred. Chayko, who commanded Russian forces on the Kyiv front during the 2022 Bucha operations, is reported to have been unharmed. Ukraine has designated Chayko a wanted war criminal over his alleged role in those 2022 attacks. Chayko's daughter Maria, 25, sustained serious injuries including a traumatic brain injury, whilst his son-in-law Daniil Peredriy, 27, was killed in the blast. The Kremlin did not publicly name the other victims.

Yerusalimov, described as the most senior victim, was twice promoted by Putin according to the Telegram channel VKCh-OGPU, which reports claim is closely linked to law enforcement. His burial took place at Troekurovskoye cemetery. The death marks the latest in a series of Russian generals killed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The blast reportedly cost approximately £85,000 to stage the birthday party itself.