Pro-War, Russian Military Blogger Killed in Bomb Attack at St. Petersburg Cafe; Investigations Ongoing

In St. Petersburg, Russia, a devastating bomb explosion rocked a "Street Bar" cafe, resulting in the death of a military blogger named Vladlen Tatarsky and the injury of 19 others.

According to the Russian authorities, Tatarsky's real name was Maxim Fomin, and he had over 560,000 followers on Telegram. His blog was known for providing critical commentary on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, making him one of the most prominent military bloggers in the country.

Investigations On-going

The investigation into the explosion is still ongoing, and the authorities have not yet determined who was responsible for the attack.

Sky News reports that Tatarsky attended a Kremlin ceremony last year, where Russia announced the annexation of four partly occupied regions of Ukraine.

During the ceremony, Tatarsky was recorded saying, "We'll defeat everyone, we'll kill everyone, we'll rob everyone we need to. Everything will be as we like it."

The Russian state Investigative Committee has reported that 19 people were injured in the blast, and they have opened a murder investigation into Tatarsky's death.

Sky News tells us that it is believed that Tatarsky was the target of the bombing. This would make the second time a figure associated with the war in Ukraine was assassinated on Russian soil.

Bomb Disguised as a Miniature Statue

As per the investigative authorities in Russia, the bomb used in the attack was a makeshift explosive device that had been concealed within a miniature figurine.

This particular object had been presented to Tatarsky by an unidentified woman while he was present at the cafe. It has been reported that Tatarsky was acting as a speaker at an event during this incident.

A video that has been shared on the Mash Telegram channel, a platform that is purportedly associated with Russian law enforcement, depicts Tatarsky holding the small statue of a helmeted soldier mere moments before the detonation took place.

Russian Bloggers Were Shocked by Bombing

According to Reuters, Tatarsky's death has shocked his colleagues and followers, who remember him as a brave and experienced blogger.

He was part of a group of military correspondents and freelance commentators who have been publishing strong perspectives on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Putin even appointed one of them to his human rights council last year, Reuters cites.

Although the investigations pertaining to the attack are still underway, military analyst Sean Bell, as per Sky News, has refuted any notion of Ukrainian military involvement, citing that the cafe in question was not a military target.

At present, the Russian authorities have not been able to ascertain the identity of the perpetrator(s) of this heinous act.

Latest on the War

According to a recent report by the BBC, the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate with Russian shelling resulting in the tragic deaths of at least six innocent civilians in Kostyantynivka, an industrial city located near the embattled Bakhmut region in eastern Ukraine.

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