Mon 03 Apr 2023:
Russia’s Investigative Committee says Darya Trepova, a suspect in the killing of war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a St Petersburg bomb blast on Sunday, has been detained.
Russian officials said Tatarsky was killed as he led a discussion at a cafe.
Investigators believe that the bomb was hidden in a bust of the blogger that the suspect had given to him as a gift just before the explosion.
WELL-KNOWN RUSSIAN MILITARY BLOGGER VLADLEN TATARSKY KILLED IN ST PETERSBURG CAFE BLAST
A woman has been detained in connection with the killing of Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky at a St Petersburg cafe on Sunday. Darya Trepova’s arrest was confirmed by Russia’s Investigative Committee on Monday who was initially placed on the interior ministry’s wanted list.
“On suspicion of involvement in the explosion in a cafe in St. Petersburg, employees of the Russian Investigative Committee, together with operational services, detained Darya Trepova,” the Investigative Committee of Russia said on Telegram Monday.
Well-known Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky killed in St Petersburg cafe blast
Владлен Татарский #VladlenTatarsky #UkraineWar pic.twitter.com/HTASCfJ6iI
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 2, 2023
The blast at the St Petersburg cafe also injured 32 others, besides killing the popular military blogger.
Investigators believe the bomb used to kill Tatarsky was hidden in a bust of the blogger that the suspect had given to him as a gift just before the explosion.
CCTV shows what Russian officials claim is Daria Trepova (26) carrying a box, said to contain the bust, into the cafe before the explosion.
In remarks recorded on video, a witness said that a woman who identified herself as Nastya asked questions and exchanged remarks with Tatarsky at the event.
Nastya and Tatarsky joked and laughed. She then went to the door, grabbed the bust and presented it to Tatarsky.
He reportedly put the bust on a nearby table, and the explosion followed.
Giving more details about Trepova, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency said that she had been placed under arrest for 10 days for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration in February last year. Trepova was born in Saint Petersburg and is a Russian national.
CCTV captures Russian cafe explosions' suspect.#dariatrepova #VladlenTatarsky pic.twitter.com/3yUnpWJ6cE
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Daria Trepova, who was detained on suspicion of involvement in the murder of military correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky, admitted that she brought a figurine to the cafe, which exploded.
Дарья Трепова
Video: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia pic.twitter.com/2jw6NqJRIN
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) April 3, 2023
Russian authorities have said that they are investigating the killing as a “high-profile murder”.
Meanwhile, Russian anti-terror investigators have accused Ukraine’s security services and “agents” linked to opposition leader Alexei Navalny of the attack. Video of the moment the blast hit the cafe is circulating on social media.
“The terrorist attack was planned by Ukrainian security services with the help of agents working with the so-called Anti-Corruption Foundation,” Russia’s anti-terror committee said, referring to Navalny’s organisation.
Who is Daria Trepova?
Daria Trepova is a 26-year-old who has previously been detained for taking part in anti-war rallies, Russian officials have said.
Trepova is, according to Russian counter-terror officials, an “active supporter” of the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation, also known as ACF or FBK.
The non-profit group, which has investigated corruption among high-ranking Russian officials, was founded by opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The group has previously been declared a “foreign agent” and banned in Russia, but continues to operate outside the country.
Counter-terror officials in Russia have declared the incident a terror attack, which they claim was planned by Ukrainian special services and involved “collaborators” from the Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation.
However, Trepova’s husband, Dmitry Rylov, told the Russian news site SVTV News that while his wife was against the war in Ukraine, “she would never kill”.
“I believe my wife was framed. I’m pretty sure she would never have been able to do something like that on her own,” he said.
Rylov, who is a member of the fringe opposition group, Libertarian Party of Russia (LPR), said: “Together with Daria we really do not support the war in Ukraine, but we believe that such actions are unacceptable.
“I am 100% sure that she would never have agreed to this if she had known.”
St Petersburg killing a ‘terrorist act’: Kremlin
The Kremlin said that the killing of prominent war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in St Petersburg was a “terrorist act” and cited Russia’s Anti-Terrorism Committee in saying there was evidence linking Ukraine to the bombing.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred to a statement by the Committee, adding: “This is a terrorist act.”
“The active phase of the investigation is now under way,” he said.
“We see quite vigorous steps to detain suspects. Let’s be patient and wait for the next announcements from our special services, which are working on this.”
MURDER OF DUGINA WAS COMMITTED BY A FEMALE UKRAINIAN SECRET SERVICE AGENT, RUSSIA’S FSB SAYS
Vladlen Tatarsky is extremely well-known in Russia and has over 560,000 followers on Telegram. His real name was Maxim Fomin and he was a highly vocal supporter of Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine.
He had also attended the lavish Kremlin ceremony last September when Russia proclaimed its annexation of four partly occupied regions of Ukraine.
According to a St Petersburg website, the cafe once belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private army. The Wagner mercenaries are currently fighting alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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