A private burial ceremony was held for a high-ranking military officer linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as per recent reports. The incident occurred during a bomb explosion at an upscale restaurant in Moscow over the weekend, resulting in the death of five individuals, including 53-year-old Lt-Gen Igor Yerusalimov.

The explosion took place during a birthday celebration for senior commander Col-Gen Alexander Chayko at the Balzi Rossi restaurant. Yerusalimov was positioned near the entrance when a female courier, unknowingly carrying a “gift” that was a potential explosive device for Chayko, was stopped by a security officer. Tragically, both the woman and the security officer lost their lives in the blast, while nine others sustained injuries.

Chayko, who escaped unharmed, had been accused by Ukraine of being a wanted “war criminal” for his alleged involvement in the 2022 attacks. The explosion resulted in severe injuries to Chayko’s daughter Maria and the death of his son-in-law Daniil Peredriy.

Yerusalimov, the most senior casualty of the incident, was honored with a high-security burial at Troekurovskoye cemetery. His demise marks another loss among a series of Russian generals killed since the commencement of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.