An explosion occurred at a cafe operating in St. Petersburg, Russia, killing one famous military blogger and injuring 25 others.
On the 2nd (local time), an explosion occurred at a cafe in St. Petersburg, killing famous military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, and injuring at least 25 others, according to Russia’s TASS and Ryanovosti news agencies. 19 of the injured were transported to hospitals for treatment.
Russian investigative authorities estimate that the explosion was caused by the explosion of TNT explosives weighing 300 to 500 grams.
At that time, Tatarsky was hosting an event called ‘Cyber Front Z’ and holding a fan meeting at the cafe around 5 pm on the same day. The event consisted of citizens supporting the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine and fans of Tatarsky, who runs a pro-Russian propaganda blog. It is believed that one of his fans set off a hidden explosive in a small statue prepared for Tatarski.
Vladlen Tatarski (40) receiving a gift from a fan right before he exploded. @belarusian_silovik telegram captureA Russian Interior Ministry official said, “The statue in the box that a woman gave to Tatarsky as a gift was a bomb,” and “Tatarsky recognized the person who gave him the gift. And he reported that he testified that after 5 to 10 minutes, an explosion occurred.”
Although the exact cause of the incident has not been revealed at this time, it is assumed that an organization with links to Ukraine may be behind it both inside and outside Russia. Tatarsky has been advocating pro-Russian moves and invasion of Ukraine.
Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, is known to have been from Gorlovka, Donetsk Region, Ukraine. He was imprisoned for bank robbery in Ukraine in 2011. In 2014, during the Russian invasion of Crimea, he joined the Russian army and fought against the Ukrainian forces. Since then, he has become a pro-Russian military blogger supporting President Vladimir Putin.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.