Update from August 12. The initial version of this material reported the probable death of Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov. Subsequent verification changed this conclusion: the person who answered journalists using Yerusalimov's number responded to his own name, while the death of Major General Valery Plokhotnyuk on August 1 is confirmed by state registries. Below, we separate established facts from versions and preserve the history of the error as part of the investigation itself.

On the evening of August 1, 2026, an explosion occurred near the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Moscow. Russian authorities called the incident a terrorist act, but after initial reports, they largely ceased disclosing details. Independent publications established that the restaurant was closed for a private banquet related to the 55th birthday of Alexander Chayko, Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces. The general himself, according to available data, was not harmed; among the dead and wounded were individuals from his family and professional circle.

What Happened at Balzi Rossi

The explosion occurred at the entrance to Balzi Rossi at Kudrinskaya Square, 1, in a Stalinist high-rise building. The National Anti-Terrorist Committee claimed that a woman attempted to enter the restaurant with a box, security stopped her at the entrance, after which an improvised explosive device detonated. Media reports featured a version about a gift, an explosive power of approximately one kilogram of TNT equivalent, and shrapnel. These technical details originated from anonymous sources and were not confirmed by published expert analysis.

Initial reports spoke of three dead and 21 injured. Later, independent media and foreign diplomatic communications increased the number of fatalities to at least five; various publications cited 19 or 21 wounded. The discrepancy is explained by the timing of updates and the fact that some victims died in the hospital. As of August 12, there is no open, named list from the Russian investigation.

Why Alexander Chayko is Considered the Presumed Target

The event's connection to Chayko is based not only on an anonymous phrase about a “general's banquet.” Video footage of the hall's preparation, analyzed by journalists, showed decorations with the inscription “Alexander 55.” Alexander Chayko turned 55 on July 27. Furthermore, registries and leaks allowed several attendees to be linked to his family. Together, these indicators strongly support the version of a birthday celebration, although there has been no official confirmation from the restaurant, the Ministry of Defense, or Chayko himself.

It is premature to call the explosion a proven assassination attempt specifically on Chayko. The investigation has not published information about the masterminds, perpetrators, detonation mechanism, or chosen target. The correct phrasing is “presumed assassination attempt”: it explains the context but does not turn a working hypothesis into an established fact.

Chayko is significant beyond this incident. In 2022, he commanded the Russian grouping that advanced on Kyiv through Hostomel, Bucha, and Irpin. International journalistic investigations documented the killings of civilians in the operational zone of units under his command. This does not mean that Chayko's guilt for a specific incident has been established by a court, but it explains the public interest in his career and security.

Who Has Been Identified Among the Dead and Wounded

Russian authorities have not published a full list of victims. Names were reconstructed using state databases, the register of entrepreneurs, lists of hospitalized individuals, reports from relatives, and connections found in leaks. This methodology yields varying degrees of certainty: a record of an individual entrepreneur's activity cessation due to death is stronger than an anonymous report, and a mere coincidence of initials in a hospital list is insufficient for identification on its own.

The deaths of Daniil Peredriy and Valery Plokhotnyuk are most reliably confirmed. Peredriy, the 27-year-old husband of Chayko's daughter Maria, died on August 1: one of his documents was annulled on the day of the explosion, and an entry in the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs directly links the cessation of his activity to his death. His coinciding age and initials also appeared in the lists of injured.

General Valery Plokhotnyuk: Confirmed Death and Unofficial Link to the Explosion

Major General Valery Vladimirovich Plokhotnyuk was buried on August 5 at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery. “Mediazona” and “Agentstvo” independently found information in state databases indicating that one of his personal documents became invalid on August 1 — the day of the explosion. Photographs of the grave and funeral information confirm the identity of the deceased. However, the official cause of death was not disclosed.

Plokhotnyuk served in the Southern Military District, headed the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria, and later held a leadership position in the 49th Combined Arms Army. Journalists discovered overlaps in the family contacts and address data of Plokhotnyuk and Chayko. This supports the version that the general could have been among the guests, but there is no direct document confirming his presence at Balzi Rossi. Therefore, the established fact here is his death on August 1; the connection to the explosion remains a well-supported, but not officially confirmed, conclusion.

The False Trail of Igor Yerusalimov

Initial reports of secret funerals were erroneously linked to Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov. The version quickly spread across several publications: it was supported by a closed regime at the cemetery, a matching military rank, and messages from local chats. However, the original chain of evidence did not include a photograph of a nameplate with his name, a death record in a registry, or reports from relatives.

“Verstka” called a number associated with Yerusalimov. The man who answered responded to being addressed by name and denied being Yerusalimov, but the conversation seriously weakens the version of his death. Simultaneously, a Telegram account appeared, posing as a relative and confirming the funeral; journalists established that the account was recently created, and its authenticity is unconfirmed. Who and why this digital trail was formed remains unknown.

The conclusion for OSINT practice here is more important than the sensation. Several publications repeating a single anonymous source do not constitute multiple independent confirmations. After the appearance of a registry entry, a grave photograph, and biographical connections, the version about Plokhotnyuk became stronger; the version about Yerusalimov should be retracted, not left alongside as equally valid.

The Chayko Family: Daniil and Maria Peredriy

Daniil Peredriy died. His wife Maria — Alexander Chayko's daughter — appeared in hospital lists as “Maria P.”, 25 years old. ASTRA, citing a source, reported multiple shrapnel wounds and hospitalization at Pirogov Hospital. The family did not publish an official medical bulletin, so we do not consider the exact diagnosis and further condition to be confirmed by public documents.

The materials also named relatives and acquaintances of the family: Alexander Peredriy, Evdokiya Kirillova, and Galina Pliskina. Journalists verified their connection to Chayko through family accounts, contacts, and address data. We do not publish home addresses, phone numbers, or other excessive personal information: while they might have been part of the verification process for confirming kinship, they are not necessary for the reader.

Yulia Kirillova: Probable Death After Hospitalization

On August 8, “Verstka” reported that 30-year-old Yulia Kirillova might have died on August 4 from injuries sustained in the explosion. The initial list of hospitalized individuals included “Yulia V., 30 years old” with severe chest and abdominal wounds; journalists linked her to the Chayko family through her husband and relatives. Meduza and “Ukrainska Pravda” recounted the results of this verification.

The phrasing “might have died” is crucial here. There is no open record, comparable in strength to the registry confirmation of Peredriy's death, in the published materials. If the data is confirmed, the final death toll will exceed five, but without an official list, all reports cannot be combined into a definitive figure.

Chronology: From Anniversary to Correcting an Erroneous Version

On July 27, Alexander Chayko turned 55. On August 1, Balzi Rossi was closed for a private event; in the evening, an explosive device detonated at the entrance. On August 5, journalists confirmed Daniil Peredriy's death using state database information; on the same day, Valery Plokhotnyuk was buried, while an earlier version erroneously named Yerusalimov. On August 6–7, registries, grave photographs, and family connections led investigations to Plokhotnyuk; a phone check weakened the Yerusalimov version. On August 8, information emerged about the possible death of Yulia Kirillova. As of August 12, the Russian investigation has not presented a public picture of the event.

What is Confirmed, and What Remains a Version

The explosion itself at Balzi Rossi, the presence of dead and wounded, the death of Daniil Peredriy, and the death of Valery Plokhotnyuk on August 1 are confirmed. Strong cumulative data confirms a private banquet in honor of Alexander Chayko's 55th birthday. The presence of his family members, the severe injury of Maria Peredriy, and the death of Yulia Kirillova are probable, but these points depend on journalistic sources and the comparison of incomplete lists.

Officially unconfirmed are the identity of the direct perpetrator, the origin of the box, the exact power of the device, the mastermind, the motive, and whether Chayko was the sole or primary target. There is also no official document linking Plokhotnyuk's death to the explosion. The version of Igor Yerusalimov's death, after verification, does not meet the evidentiary standard and should not be used as a fact.

Why Official Silence Became Part of the Story

On the day of the explosion, Sergey Sobyanin called the incident a terrorist act. After that, public communication almost ceased: no full list of victims, open version of the investigation, or explanation of what event was taking place at the restaurant emerged. For an ordinary criminal case with mass casualties, such a deficit of information is unusual; for an event affecting the family of the Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces and another general, it itself becomes a significant circumstance.

However, the absence of official data does not grant the right to fill gaps with speculation. This material was updated precisely because the initial compelling story proved incorrect regarding a key surname. A public correction is not a weakness of the investigation but an obligatory part of it: conclusions must change with the evidence.

In Conclusion

The explosion at Balzi Rossi increasingly appears to be a strike against Alexander Chayko's inner circle, rather than a random attack on the restaurant. This follows from the nature of the banquet, the confirmed family ties of the victims, and the death of General Plokhotnyuk on the same day. However, the word “assassination attempt” remains a qualified version until the investigation reveals the target and organizers.

The main change by August 12 is the establishment of the true identity of the deceased general and the abandonment of the false trail. Plokhotnyuk is confirmed by registries and funeral records; Yerusalimov is most likely alive. In an investigation built on closed databases, Telegram messages, and fragmentary lists, such a boundary between fact and assumption is more important than a sensational but premature headline.