Pro-war Russian commentators voice fresh outrage: why do generals host birthdays at the lavish Balzi Rossi restaurant, where soup alone costs six thousand roubles (around 65 euros)? And why does Russian intelligence fail to secure the very center of the capital?

The Saturday attack (1 August), which claimed five lives, has spotlighted a split in Russian responses to the conflict - between everyday people and the political-military upper ranks.

Though the probe continues, Moscow has directly blamed Ukraine for the incident.

Evidence points to general Aleksandr Chaiko as the intended victim; he was marking his fifty-fifth birthday at the central Moscow venue roughly two and a half km from the Kremlin, joined by family, friends, associates, politicians and top officials. Federal Security Service members and additional generals were also expected at his table.

Russian investigative reporters decoded several vehicle plates near the site and traced their owners.

Besides the personal milestone, Chaiko had professional cause for celebration: his May appointment as head of the Russian Aerospace Forces, a role gaining daily prominence.

Russia aims to launch more Rassvet satellites - akin to US Starlink units - to allow constant drone targeting over Ukrainian sites. Current coverage lasts only about two hours daily due to limited numbers, and Moscow has started using this window. Chaiko's priority is achieving 24-hour coverage rapidly.

Official Russian reports indicate the general survived. Five individuals died, among them the attacker, while six others remain critically injured.

Investigators currently conclude the device was triggered remotely after planners realized their courier could not reach the target closely enough.

The female attacker attempted to deliver a package into the restaurant, yet it drew notice from an alert guard at the private-event entrance. The item detonated during inspection.

Aleksandr Chaiko attended the Suvorov Military School in Moscow, the Moscow Higher Military Command School, the Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Military Academy of the General Staff.
From 2014 he led the 1st Guards Tank Army.
Between 2017 and 2021 he oversaw Russian operations in Syria while also serving as deputy chief of the general staff. Human Rights Watch links him to civilian strikes that killed or wounded hundreds in Syria.
At the outset of Russia's full-scale Ukraine invasion he commanded the Eastern Military District and directed the northern push toward Kyiv. He faces suspicion of enabling war crimes in Bucha with his awareness.
In May he took command of the Russian Aerospace Forces, now handling space units, strategic aviation and nationwide air defense.
On 16 March he was placed on the European sanctions list.

The roughly one-kg TNT-equivalent bomb contained shrapnel, chiefly metal pellets that struck all within range.

Who was on the terrace

The second victim, identified as Anatoly S., likely preserved the general's life.

Initial accounts described him as standard restaurant security, yet updated details portray him as a seasoned bodyguard with police and private-security experience. His Lexus stood directly by the entrance.

Others suffered injuries while on the terrace during the ongoing festivities. Three later died in hospital.

Russian opposition outlets and certain Z-bloggers report that Chaiko's twenty-five-year-old daughter, Mariya Peredriy, sustained fragment wounds and remains seriously hurt.

Mariya appears on victim lists issued by pro-government Ren TV and the security-linked Telegram channel 112. Beside her name stands Daniil P., believed to be her spouse. Reports indicate Daniil among the fatalities, though official Russian sources remain silent, slowing confirmation.

General Chaiko's condition stays undisclosed. Several Russian Telegram channels, including pro-Kremlin ones, demand further details.