An explosion hit a cafe in Russia’s second-largest city on Sunday, killing a prominent military blogger who had supported the fighting in Ukraine. The Russian Interior Ministry said more than a dozen people were injured.
Russian news reports that blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed and 16 people were injured in the explosion at Street Food Bar no. 1 from St. Petersburg. The reports did not mention any claims of responsibility and did not provide details other than to say that a patron of the cafe had an “explosive device”.
The Home Office said everyone in the bar at the time of the blast had been “vetted for involvement”.
Russian media and military bloggers said Tatarsky was meeting members of the public and a woman handed him a box containing a figurine that apparently exploded. A Russian patriotic group that organized the event said it had taken security measures, but added that “unfortunately, these proved insufficient”.
Since the start of the fighting in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, various fires and explosions without a clear connection to the conflict have occurred in Russia.
Tatarsky filed regular reports from Ukraine and the Kremlin. Tatarsky is the pseudonym of Maxim Fomin, who has amassed more than 560,000 followers on his channel on the Telegram messaging app. He was known for his fiery statements and fiery pro-war rhetoric.
After the Kremlin annexed four regions of Ukraine last year, Tatarsky released a video in which he vowed: “This is it. We will defeat them all, kill them all, rob them of everything we need. Everything will be as we like it. The Lord be with you.”
Many countries condemned the annexation as illegal.
I’m a passionate and motivated journalist with a focus on world news. My experience spans across various media outlets, including Buna Times where I serve as an author. Over the years, I have become well-versed in researching and reporting on global topics, ranging from international politics to current events.