According to a statement from Russia's interior ministry, a bombing at a cafe in the heart of St. Petersburg has killed a well-known pro-war military blogger.
Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was one of the nation's very well-known military bloggers and had more than 560,000 Telegram subscribers.
According to the Russian health ministry, the explosion on Sunday left more than 30 people injured. A bomb was concealed in a statue that was given to Tatarsky in a box as a gift at a public meeting, according to RIA news, which cited sources in the nation's security agencies. The state investigating committee of Russia said that a murder probe had been launched.
A video allegedly showing Tatarsky receiving a statue of a helmeted soldier was shared on the Mash Telegram channel, which is linked to Russian police enforcement. It claimed the explosion took place shortly thereafter. Social media videos show the explosion and the injured on the street.
( Image: Olga Maltseva | AFP | Getty Images)
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