Thousands of people attended the funeral of Vladlen Tatarsky, a prominent Russian military blogger and supporter of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, who was killed in a bomb attack in Saint Petersburg last week.
Tatarsky, whose real name was Maxim Fomin, was killed on Sunday after a woman handed him a statuette that later exploded in a cafe, wounding more than 40 people.
The funeral took place at the prestigious Troyekurovskoye cemetery in western Moscow on Saturday, with a heightened police presence and metal detectors at the entrance. Some mourners wore the letters Z and V – symbols of Moscow’s assault on Ukraine – on their clothes.
Tatarsky was known for his staunch anti-Ukraine stance and his coverage of Russia’s military operations in the region. He had millions of followers on social media platforms such as Telegram and YouTube. He was also awarded the Order of Courage by President Vladimir Putin after his death.