Russia Quietly Buries Two Generals as Mystery Deepens Around Deadly Moscow Explosion

Two senior Russian officers—Lt. Gen. Igor Yerusalimov and an unidentified major general—have died under unexplained circumstances, with reports suggesting both may have been victims of a deadly explosion at an upscale Moscow restaurant, Militarnyi reported on August 6, citing OSINT reporter Necro Mancer and Russian channel VChK-OGPU.

The date and cause of Yerusalimov’s death have not been disclosed. He was buried on August 5, but Russian authorities issued no public announcement explaining what happened to him.

A notice about his funeral appeared at 5:45 p.m. the previous day in a community chat for Moscow’s Solntsevo district. The location of his burial remains unknown.

Separately, an unidentified Russian major general was buried under intense security at Moscow’s Troekurovskoye Cemetery.

One theory suggests the deceased officer may have been a friend of Russian Aerospace Forces commander Alexander Chaiko and attended a gathering marking Chaiko’s 55th birthday.

Federal Protective Service officers guarded the cemetery from early morning, while several buses carrying Rosgvardia troops were brought to the site.

Parking was prohibited near the cemetery. Police officers and plainclothes personnel inspected vehicles entering the grounds, while drivers and pedestrians were required to pass through security scanners.

An honor guard accompanied the procession with the flag of the Russian Aerospace Forces. A Russian Ground Forces flag, however, was placed beside the grave.

Witnesses described the deceased as a “fairly young” major general.

The extraordinary secrecy has fueled speculation that the two officers may have died in the August 1 explosion at Moscow’s Balzi Rossi restaurant.

According to pro-Russian bloggers, the private event may have also been connected to Chaiko’s 55th birthday.

The woman, the guard, and one restaurant visitor were reportedly killed, while another 21 people were injured. Some Russian media outlets placed the death toll at five.

Russian authorities have not publicly identified all those killed in the explosion.

Earlier reports indicated that as of the beginning of 2026, Russia has lost at least 19 generals.

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