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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. Witnesses described seeing wounded and bloodied people fleeing the area as emergency services, police and members of the Russian National Guard arrived at the scene.

Maloof said it remained unclear whether the restaurant had been selected simply because it was crowded or whether a particular individual inside had been targeted.

“It was meant, I think, to have maximum effect. And if it was intended to target someone, the individual did not care what the collateral damage might be,” he said.

Russian authorities have not publicly identified a suspected organizer or attributed the attack to any country or organization. No group has claimed responsibility, and investigators have yet to disclose a possible motive. Maloof, however, suggested that the bombing was connected to the Ukraine conflict, describing it as an apparent attempt to create panic in the Russian capital.

“This was clearly meant to cause maximum panic and terrorism, and to create greater uncertainty so that people would be afraid… It is really important for people not to show that fear, but to go about their business while being cautious and alert.”

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation and said forensic specialists are examining the site. Officials have not publicly identified the woman carrying the device or announced any arrests.