At least 15 people are reported injured by a suspected IED explosion in a city center café
Screenshot © vk.com / public195940807
An explosion that rocked the ‘Street Bar’ café in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday has claimed at least one life and left 15 people injured, emergency services have told the TASS news agency.
The café is located on the Universitetskaya Embankment in the historical city center on the Neva River bank across from the famed Admiralty building.
Vladlen Tatarsky (real name Maksim Fomin), a military correspondent and blogger, was allegedly killed in the incident, RIA Novosti and TASS have reported, citing emergency services.
Tatarsky joined the Donbass militias back in 2014 in the wake of the Maidan coup in Kiev. He has since become known in Russia as a blogger and a correspondent reporting on the situation in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. Tatarsky has also authored several books.
According to Readovka news outlet, the man was hosting a live event for supporters of his work when an explosion ripped through the building, blowing the café’s glass front into the street.
Emergency services have reported that an improvised explosive device was detonated near the stage in the cafe.
