Improvised device explodes at Limassol restaurant

Early Tuesday morning, an explosion occurred near a fast-food restaurant in the old port area of Limassol.

According to police, around 05:00, two unknown individuals approached the building and placed a small low-yield improvised explosive device at the entrance, which detonated shortly after. The explosion caused material damage to the building.

Investigators link this incident to a series of attacks on a 40-year-old Russian businessman who is under police protection and is considered a close associate of the previously murdered entrepreneur Stavros Demosthenous.

This is the third such incident involving this businessman in the last four months. Previously, perpetrators had committed arson against his property twice:

• in November 2025, his cars were set on fire in a parking lot in Mouttagiaka;
• in December, the entrance to a shop he owns on the Germasogeia waterfront was set on fire.

Police suspect that a criminal gang engaged in extorting money from entrepreneurs by offering "protection" may be behind the attacks.

Investigators are currently reviewing CCTV footage, interviewing witnesses, and conducting forensic examinations of evidence from the scene.