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Cafe bomb in St Petersburg kills military blogger Cafe bomb in St Petersburg kills Russian military blogger
(32 minutes later)
Vladlen Tatarsky posted reports on the Telegram messaging serviceVladlen Tatarsky posted reports on the Telegram messaging service
An explosion in a St Petersburg cafe has killed prominent Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, Russia's Interior Ministry has confirmed.An explosion in a St Petersburg cafe has killed prominent Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, Russia's Interior Ministry has confirmed.
At least 19 people were injured in the bomb blast at Street Food Bar No 1. At least 25 people were injured in the bomb blast at Street Food Bar No 1.
Videos posted on social media show an explosion and injured people on the street. It is not clear who was responsible for the blast.Videos posted on social media show an explosion and injured people on the street. It is not clear who was responsible for the blast.
Vladlen Tatarsky (real name Maxim Fomin) was a vocal supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine.Vladlen Tatarsky (real name Maxim Fomin) was a vocal supporter of Russia's war in Ukraine.
He was a guest speaker at an event hosted by the cafe when the bomb went off.He was a guest speaker at an event hosted by the cafe when the bomb went off.
He had reported from the Ukraine frontline and gained particular notoriety last year after posting a video filmed inside the Kremlin in which he said "We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone as necessary. Just as we like it." Unlike many other Russian military bloggers and state media journalists in Ukraine, Tatarsky took up arms in combat operations, BBC Russia analyst Olga Robinson reports.
The occasion for that was a Kremlin ceremony hosted by President Vladimir Putin, who proclaimed Russia's annexation of four partly-occupied regions of Ukraine. That land grab was internationally condemned. St Petersburg is President Putin's home city, where he first rose to prominence. He had reported from the Ukraine front line and gained particular notoriety last year after posting a video filmed inside the Kremlin in which he said: "We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone as necessary. Just as we like it."
Interior Ministry sources quoted by Russia's RIA news agency said a bomb was hidden in a statue presented to Tatarsky in a box as a gift. The occasion for that was a Kremlin ceremony hosted by President Vladimir Putin, who proclaimed Russia's annexation of four partly-occupied regions of Ukraine. That land grab was internationally condemned.
The cafe targeted on Sunday was previously owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's notorious Wagner mercenary group, the St Petersburg news site Fontanka reports.The cafe targeted on Sunday was previously owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's notorious Wagner mercenary group, the St Petersburg news site Fontanka reports.
Tatarsky was presented with a statue which had a bomb hidden inside, according to Interior Ministry sources quoted by Russian state media.
St Petersburg is President Putin's home city, and where he first rose to prominence.
The scene outside the cafe after the bomb blastThe scene outside the cafe after the bomb blast
Tatarsky's following on Telegram numbers more than 500,000. He and other military bloggers have criticised aspects of the Russian campaign in Ukraine. Tatarsky has more than 500,000 followers on Telegram, where he and other military bloggers have criticised aspects of the Russian campaign in Ukraine.
A group called Cyber Front Z, calling itself "Russia's information troops" on Telegram, said it had hired out the cafe for the evening. Cyber Front Z, a group calling itself "Russia's information troops" on Telegram, said it had hired out the cafe for the evening.
"There was a terrorist attack. We took certain security measures but unfortunately they were not enough," its post on Telegram said. "Condolences to everyone who knew the excellent war correspondent and our friend Vladlen Tatarsky," it said. "There was a terrorist attack. We took certain security measures but unfortunately they were not enough," its post on Telegram said.
Last August a car bomb attack near Moscow killed Darya Dugina, a journalist and prominent supporter of the Russian military. She was the daughter of ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin, a close ally of Mr Putin. "Condolences to everyone who knew the excellent war correspondent and our friend Vladlen Tatarsky."
The cafe is located in central St PetersburgThe cafe is located in central St Petersburg
Last August a car bomb attack near Moscow killed Darya Dugina, a journalist and prominent supporter of the Russian military. She was the daughter of ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin, a close ally of Mr Putin.
The BBC's Olga Robinson says Tatarsky had joined the Russian separatist forces back in 2014, when they seized a swathe of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
He was born in Makiivka, in Donetsk region. According to Tatarsky himself, he joined the Donetsk rebels when they released him from jail, where he was serving time for armed robbery. Donetsk is one of the regions that Russia claims to have annexed.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Tatarsky returned to combat and commented on the war on social media and Russian state media. He claimed to have helped launch combat drones and build fortifications.
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