“Putin’s biggest cheerleader” killed in an assassination attempt at Prigozhin’s cafe – we know that

That happened

The ultra-nationalist Russian war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky was killed in an explosion at a cafe in the center of the Russian city of St. Petersburg. At least 30 other people were injured when an explosive device detonated in a cafe on Sunday night, and 19 had to be taken to hospital, Russian state news agency Tass said.

The explosion in St. Petersburg:

Who was Vladlen Tatarsky?

Vladlen Tatarsky’s real name is Maxim Fonin. Born in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine during Soviet times, the 40-year-old was a staunch supporter of Russia’s “special operation” in Ukraine. Under his pseudonym, Tatarsky managed a popular telegram channel with more than half a million subscribers, on which he reported “journalism” about the war in Ukraine. In fact, the 40-year-old mainly spread Russian propaganda.

In addition to videos from the war zone, he recently published instructions with tips for young Russian soldiers on how best to behave at the front. Tatarsky was a hardliner and was sometimes referred to as “Putin’s greatest cheerleader” in Western media. According to the British newspaper “DailyMail”, Tatarsky initially worked as a miner before embarking on a criminal career, robbing a bank for lack of money. During the annexation of Crimea by Russia, he was released and joined the pro-Russian separatists.

As a result, he began reporting from the war zone from a Russian perspective and established himself as one of the most popular war bloggers in Russia. Late last year, a video of Tatarsky broadcasting a vicious challenge to the Ukrainians circulated. He also described the Ukrainians as “mentally ill and schizophrenic” Russians in the past. The future of Ukraine can only be bright if the people there recognize that they are Russians and “return to their normal state”.

You know that from the way things are going

The attack took place in the cafe “Street Food Bar No. 1” in the center of St. Petersburg. The cafe is owned by Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, as confirmed in a response to the murder (see last point). said to be a popular hangout for ultra-nationalist, pro-war Russians.

Tatarsky had therefore invited to a “patriotic evening” in the restaurant on Sunday. According to the researchers’ initial findings, Tatarsky was presented with a bust as a gift. This would contain the explosive which exploded a few minutes later. According to eyewitness accounts, the bust is said to represent a gilded statue of Tatarsky himself, as Der Spiegel writes.

According to local media, the gift was brought by a young woman. She is said to have joked with Tatarsky at the transfer before sitting in one of the back rows of spectators. Initial reports said the woman disappeared after the explosion, but reports circulated on Monday evening that the woman was one of the victims taken to hospital. It is unclear whether the wearer knew there was an explosive in the bust.

Speculations about authorship

There is no evidence or a confession notice so far. Accordingly, various speculations are circulating about the possible authorship of the murder.

The Russian government was quick to point the finger at Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Tatarsky as a “defender of the truth” and announced a murder investigation.

Mikhailo Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, spoke of “domestic terrorism” in Russia. It sees the murder as a sign of the intensification of the power struggle in Russia. It was only a matter of time before one broke out. The process is irreversible and what happens will be looked at, Podoljak said.

Wagner boss Prigozchin also reacted and speculated. He raised a flag in Bakhmut in honor of Tatarsky – again proclaiming that Bakhmut should now be fully under Russian control. A confirmation of this message is pending.

The Wagner boss also says in the video:

He also confirmed that he had made the cafe available to a patriotic group called “CYBER FRONT Z” for events.

With material from the SDA and DPA news agencies.