Explained | Who was Vladlen Tatarsky, the Russian war blogger with Ukraine roots who was killed?

Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, 40, was killed in a bomb explosion at a cafe in St Petersburg city on Sunday. More than 30 suffered grievous injuries.

According to reports, the 40-year-old was having a discussion with his aides at the cafe when a woman presented him with a box laden with explosives that went off.

Though Tatarsky’s roots can be traced to Ukraine, he was an ardent supporter of the Russian invasion.

On Monday, the Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed the arrest of the woman suspect, who has been identified as Darya Trepova (26). She had allegedly hid the explosive device in a statuette, which was then given to Tatarsky as a gift.

Even as the Russian officials begin grilling Trepova to find out her intentions, the high-profile incident has caught the attention of many as it marks the second such attack inside Russia, following the car bomb that killed Darya Dugina, the daughter of influential ultra-nationalist philosopher Alexander Dugin in August 2022.

Who was Vladlen Tatarsky?

Tatarsky’s original name was Maxim Fomin. He borrowed his alias from the protagonist of the novel “Generation ‘P,” written by Russian author Victor Pelevin.

The character is a failed poet who later becomes an ad writer. The novel is set in the early years of Boris Yeltsin’s time as a Russian leader and is meant to be a criticism on the corruption and consumerism of the era.

Tatarsky was born in the eastern Donbas region, Ukraine's industrial heartland. He began his life working as a coal miner before commencing his furniture business.

After his business went bust, financial difficulties forced him to rob a bank, for which he was sentenced to prison.

But as the luck would have it, Russia-backed separatists seized Donbas in 2014, weeks after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, following which he escaped from custody.

Before becoming a blogger, he had joined Russian-backed separatist rebels and fought on the frontline of the Crimean war.

Tatarsky takes on the mantle of a blogger

However, his career took a drastic turn when he joined an influential group of military bloggers who provide a running commentary on Russia’s war in Ukraine.

His blustery pronouncements and ardent pro-war rhetoric soon grabbed the attention of many and his name became a household word.

He was known for espousing hardline views, often criticising Russian military commanders for being too soft in their approach. But he would avoid direct criticism of President Vladimir Putin.

Tatarsky claimed to have over 560,000 followers on Telegram. He was said to be one of the most prominent military bloggers who championed Russia's war effort in Ukraine, while often criticising Russian military strategy and tactical decisions.

Sometimes critical of Russian military

Though an ardent supporter of Russia’s “special military operation”, he would sometimes criticise Russian military’s strategy and approach.

One notable example of his hardline view is when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kherson after Russia retreated from the city last November, Tatarsky sought to know why Moscow had not taken the chance to assassinate him with a drone.

One of his most controversial statements was when he extended his support for attacking Ukrainian infrastructure, which he believed would result in more Ukrainian casualties. Moreover, he regularly used to refer Ukraine as a "terrorist state" and advocated for its defeat.

Following the Kremlin's annexation of four regions of Ukraine last year, Tatarsky posted a video where he vowed, "That's it. We'll defeat everybody, kill everybody, rob everybody we need to. It will all be the way we like it. God be with you”, according to Sky News.

During an interview to CNN in May, Tatarsky clarified that he was not criticising the entirety of what the Kremlin continues to call Russia’s “special military operation” but “individual episodes,” He still believed Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine.

“I will personally make every effort to it,” he told CNN through a text message.

Kyiv sanctioned Tatarsky

The Ukrainian government had sanctioned Tatarsky due to his extremist views and involvement in the conflict, and he was banned from entering the country for 10 years.

His assets in Ukraine were also confiscated by the Ukrainian authorities.

Still, Tatarsky continued to promote his views and beliefs through his blog and social media channels despite these sanctions.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted to his death, saying that it was his activities that "won him the hatred of the Kyiv regime".

She claimed that there are other Russian military bloggers who have long faced threats from Ukraine.

What was the motive of the killing?

Though Russian authorities are yet to disclose anything, the killing is believed to serve as a warning to other members of this influential blogger group that they could be targeted anywhere.

Tatarsky had survived multiple threats to his life while reporting on the war’s front lines, but was ultimately killed in the heart of Russia’s second city—the place anyone least expected.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE