London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

Russian blogger killed in explosion after 'woman handed him statue'

Russian blogger killed in explosion after 'woman handed him statue'

A pro-Kremlin military blogger was killed in an explosion at a cafe in Russia after a ‘woman handed him a gold statue.

Vladlen Tatarsky – who reported from the Ukraine frontline was killed as well as 15 others being injured in the blast in St Petersburg this afternoon.

Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, had more than 560,000 followers on Telegram.

Speaking about Russian firepower in the Kremlin last year he had previously said: ‘We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone as necessary. Just as we like it.’

There has been no indication who was responsible for the blast.

Russia media reported that Tatarsky was meeting with members of the public and that a woman presented him with a statuette that apparently exploded.

Russia’s Interior Ministry said everyone at the cafe at the time of the blast was being ‘checked for involvement.’

It comes as Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told US secretary of state Antony Blinken it was unacceptable for Washington to politicise the case of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been detained and accused of spying in Russia.

Vladlen Tatarsky was said to have been killed in the blast

A number of people were injured in the blast


A video showed the moment Tatarskiy was presented with the gold-coloured figurine – which appeared to depict the war propagandist.

He held it and gazed at it approvingly, moments before the explosion which killed him.

An eyewitness said: ‘Suddenly the explosive wave erupted, smoke was everywhere, and people ran.

‘I ran out into the street.

‘When I went back to look for my phone, I saw three or four lying on the floor.’

Another said: ‘There were about 100 people.

A woman said she was an artist and wanted to show the heroes of Putin’s special military operation.

She purportedly told Tatarskiy: ‘It’s not easy. That’s why I’ve only made your bust so far. It’s in the coat wardrobe [at the entrance of the cafe].’

This is the moment Tatarsky was handed the figurine before it exploded

He gave a speech just minutes before the explosion

The blogger was killed in the blast in Russia’s second biggest city


The eyewitness said: ‘She went there, took a big box, and gave it to him.

‘It was gilded.

‘He said thank you and put it next to him.

‘She sat down in her place, and three minutes later there was an explosion.

‘Everyone was running.

‘This did not seem to have left in advance.’

BAZA media reported that the explosion was radio-activated.

This triggered the explosion in the plaster figurine.

The explosion happened despite the use of an explosives-sniffing dog at the event, it was reported.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×