Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Thursday accused Ukrainian spies of orchestrating the bombing that killed prominent Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky at a pro-war event in central St. Petersburg earlier this month.
The FSB told Russia's state-run news agency Tass that the blast at a St. Petersburg cafe on April 2 was organized by Ukrainian intelligence and its agents, including Russian opposition activists "hiding abroad."
Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed when a bomb went off during a pro-war event at a cafe on the bank of the Neva River in the heart of St. Petersburg. The blast wounded at least 42 others, according to Russia's Health Ministry.
Born in eastern Ukraine, Tatarsky was one of Russia's most influential bloggers, having amassed more than 560,000 Telegram followers before he was killed.
A day after the blast, police said they had arrested and charged a woman called Darya Trepova with carrying out the attack. Authorities said the 26-year-old was a supporter of the jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The FSB on Thursday also accused Ukrainian national Yuriy Denisov of being involved in the St. Petersburg cafe bomb blast.
"It's been established that D. Trepova was planning Fomin's murder together with a member of Ukrainian subversive terrorist group, Ukrainian national Yuriy Denisov, born in 1987," the statement said.
"Using express delivery services and a middleman, he handed the explosive device over to her in Moscow, which was camouflaged to look like a plaster bust of the war correspondent," the statement reads.
The FSB, responsible for internal security and counter-terrorism in the country, said Denisov was instructed by Ukrainian intelligence to arrive in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in February through Latvian territory, "where he collected information about the lifestyle and places visited" by Tatarsky.
"To this end, he purchased a car and rented an apartment near his place of residence," the statement said.
On April 3, the day after the bomb blast at the St. Petersburg cafe, Denisov left Russia for Turkey through Armenia, the FSB said.
"The procedure for putting him on the international wanted list has been initiated," the statement added. "The investigation into the terrorist attack continues. All of its organizers and [their] accomplices will be held to account in accordance with Russian Federation law."
Trepova is currently being held at a pre-trial detention center in Moscow.
Last week, the so-called National Republican Army (NRA) claimed responsibility for the bombing and killing of "the well-known warmonger and war propagandist." The same organization also claimed to have masterminded the car bombing that killed Darya Dugina last year. Many expert observers doubt the NRA's existence.
Do you have a tip on a world news story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about the Russia-Ukraine war? Let us know via worldnews@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more
