An army blogger killed in an explosion at a St. Petersburg café posted “it would be nice” if Russian forces armed themselves with drones hours before his death.
Vladlen Tatarsky of Russia, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, is believed to have given a lecture when he died in the city incident, which injured 16 others, earlier that day.
Law enforcement officials told Russia’s TASS news firm that “an improvised explosive device exploded in a St. Petersburg café and was filled with cluster munitions. “
A small makeshift device allegedly hidden in a statue that was presented to the blogger as a gift moments before it exploded in the Street Bar.
His message, sent at 2 p. m. UK time, reads: “On the preparation of the offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces.
“With the appearance of surprise drone corporations in the brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the launching of special fragmentation shells for drones with a declared destruction zone of 11 meters particularly increases the functions of infantry in attacking fortresses.
“The only negative point is the weather conditions, which do not allow drone launches.
“It would be great if such toy sets made the impression on RF’s armed forces, decreased ammunition consumption, and made it easier to fulfill responsibilities at the tactical level. “
Russian media reported that members of the Tatarsky assembly were in the audience when a woman handed him a statuette carrying the explosive device.
A witness said: “Suddenly, the explosive wave broke out, smoke came out and other people ran, I ran down the street.
“When I went back to get my phone, I saw 3 or 4 of them mendacity on the floor. “
Russia’s Tass news firm said the blogger had submitted text and video reports from Ukraine as the Kremlin.
Another witness said an acquaintance named Nastya approached the blogger with the gift before the explosion.
They added: “She said she was an artist and sought to show the heroes of Putin’s army special operation. “
He reportedly told Tatarskiy, “It’s easy. That’s why I’ve only made your bust so far. It’s in the coat closet [at the front of the cafeteria]. “
She went, took a big box and gave it to him, it was golden, he said thank you and put her next to him.
“He sat in his seat and 3 minutes later there was an explosion.
“Everyone running. “
Last year, Tatarsky told the Kremlin last year, “We will defeat Array, we will kill Array, we will steal if necessary. “
“The way we like it. “
Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov said of his death: “Fomin is a former Ukrainian citizen, sentenced in 2011 to 12 years in prison for an armed attack on a bank in Donbass.
“It was liberated from dominance in 2014 through Russian troops, under the legal responsibility of fighting against Ukraine.
“Fomin did not stay long in the trenches and a blogger and one of the symbols of the Russian occupation.
Fomin invited Putin to Putin’s speech in the Kremlin among representatives of the Russian elite on December 22.
“Its liquidation is a blow to Russian propaganda.
“Fomin died instantly. “
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