Daily Times

Russian investigators have arrested a woman allegedly involved in the killing of pro-war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in a blast at a St Petersburg cafe.

In video released by authorities – most likely recorded under duress – Darya Trepova is heard admitting she handed over a statuette that later blew up.

But in the footage released, she does not say she knew there would be an explosion, nor admit any further role.

More than 30 people were wounded in the bombing in Russia’s second city.

Tatarsky had been attending a patriotic meeting with supporters in the cafe as a guest speaker.

A video circulating on social media showed a young woman in a brown coat apparently entering the cafe with a cardboard box.

Images showed the box being placed on a table in the cafe before the woman sat down. Another video showed a statue being handed to Tatarsky.

In a brief excerpt of her interrogation released by the ministry, Darya Trepova, 26, sighed repeatedly.

When her interrogator asked if she knew why she was detained, she replied: “I would say for being at the scene of Vladlen Tatarsky’s murder… I handed over the statuette which blew up.”

Asked who gave it to her she responded: “Can I tell you later please?”

Russia’s anti-terrorism committee alleged the attack was organised by Ukrainian special services “with people co-operating with” opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Navalny has been in jail ever since he returned to Russia from Germany in January 2021. He survived a nerve agent attack in Russia in August 2020, which was blamed on Russian security service agents.