Russia Releases Video of Suspect in Deadly Cafe Bombing

Darya Trepova accused of delivering booby-trapped statuette that killed pro-Russian blogger
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 3, 2023 9:31 AM CDT

Russian authorities have arrested a 26-year-old woman in a cafe bombing that killed a pro-Russian blogger. In video released by Russian authorities, Darya Trepova admits she delivered a statuette in the likeness of popular blogger Vladlen Tatarsky to a St. Petersburg cafe at which he was speaking. The booby-trapped object later exploded. The BBC reports that Trepova was likely speaking under duress in the released clip. Separate video appears to show her entering the cafe with the bomb and later presenting it to Tatarsky, reports the AP. The key question is whether she knew it was a bomb, and she reportedly told investigators she had no idea.

Asked in the interrogation if she knew why she was under arrest, Trepova responded, "I would say for being at the scene of Vladlen Tatarsky's murder," per the BBC. "I handed over the statuette which blew up." When asked who supplied her with the statuette, she answered, "Can I tell you later, please?" Stories about her arrest note she was also arrested last year for taking part in an anti-war protest. Russia has blamed the bombing on pro-Ukrainian forces coordinated by supporters of Alexei Navalny, a jailed critic of Vladimir Putin, reports Radio Free Europe. However, Ukrainian officials say the bombing is another sign of internal conflict within Russia over the war. "Spiders are eating each other in a jar," said Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak. (More Russia stories.)

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