Russian General Yerusalimov buried in Moscow amid reports he was killed in restaurant explosion – photo

Lieutenant General Igor Yerusalimov has been buried in Moscow. He may have died in the explosion at a restaurant on 1 August, where a celebration of the 55th birthday of Alexander Chaiko, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, was taking place.

Source: Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories), a Russian media outlet; Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian media outlet

Details: According to media reports, a post about the farewell ceremony for Yerusalimov, at which mourners pay their final respects, in a chat for residents of his district was noticed by Ukrainian OSINT blogger Necro Mancer.

The exact date and cause of his death are not yet known.

The farewell ceremony took place at the same address listed as his residence in leaked databases. The same post stated that the funeral of the lieutenant general was scheduled for 5 August.

A Russian Telegram channel reported that the funeral of "a certain major general" had taken place at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow. It suggested the officer was a friend of Alexander Chaiko and may have been killed in the explosion at the Balzi Rossi restaurant on 1 August.

According to the channel, the funeral was held in secret. Officers from Russia's Federal Protective Service and National Guard were stationed at the cemetery, checking vehicles and visitors entering the grounds.

The ceremony was accompanied by a ceremonial guard carrying the flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which was left at the grave.

In 2020, Yerusalimov served as head of the operations directorate of the Western Military District headquarters, and in 2024, he became first deputy chief of staff of the Moscow Military District.

He was promoted to the rank of major general a week before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In May 2025, Vladimir Putin granted him a promotion to lieutenant general.

Background:

• An explosion occurred at the Balzi Rossi restaurant in Kudrinskaya Square in central Moscow on 1 August. The restaurant had been closed for a private event. Pro-Russian bloggers reported that the event may have been held to celebrate Alexander Chaiko's 55th birthday.
• The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said an unidentified woman had attempted to bring an improvised explosive device into the restaurant disguised as a gift, but was stopped by a security guard.
• The woman, the security guard and one of the guests were killed in the explosion, while another 21 people were injured. Russian media outlets reported a total of 5 fatalities.
• It was also reported that Chaiko's son-in-law, Danylo Peredrii, was among those killed.

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