In the aftermath of the cafe blast in St. Petersburg, local officials moved swiftly to outline the next steps. Viktor Melnik, the prosecutor for Petersburg, told reporters that the investigation at the site would proceed with all possible speed and thoroughness. The aim, he noted, was to establish facts as quickly as the situation allowed, while ensuring that every avenue for examination remained open. The remarks came amid questions from the press about how soon the investigators would complete their initial assessment, with the deputy prosecutor signaling that progress would be made as rapidly as safety and procedural requirements permitted, according to reports from TASS.
Earlier, after an encounter with the military commissioner Vladlen Tatarsky, hospital officials at the Mariinsky announced that the investigation and reporting would continue in coordination with medical responders. Yevgeny Volodin, a representative of St. Petersburg’s health system, described the sequence of events: Tatarsky had been approached by authorities for a brief interview when the incident occurred, after which chaos erupted and the surrounding area was immediately secured by police and medical teams. In Volodin’s account, the emergency response units acted promptly to triage the wounded and transport them to facilities that could provide the level of care required by their injuries.
At the national health level, initial disclosures indicated that the casualty count was substantial. The Ministry of Health in Russia confirmed that 24 people had died in the cafe explosion, with the condition of six others who were admitted to medical facilities described as serious. Such figures underscored the magnitude of the incident and prompted a wide-ranging review of safety protocols for public gatherings and the handling of major incidents within city limits.
Authorities have stressed that the explosion occurred during a private cultural evening that was being staged to honor a notable war correspondent, Vladlen Tatarsky. The event, which had drawn attendees from various circles, ended in tragedy for Tatarsky himself and left dozens of spectators and participants injured. In the wake of the blast, investigators, emergency responders, and medical personnel coordinated a rapid response to secure the site, assist victims, and begin the long process of assessing the cause of the explosion and any potential threats to public safety. The incident has sparked widespread discussion about security at public events, the responsibilities of event organizers, and the measures required to prevent such eruptions from occurring in the future, as authorities continue to gather information and provide updates to the public.