Russian Flag Raised in Artemovsk After Assault Claimed by Wagner Group
Reports confirm that a Russian flag was raised over the administration building in Artemovsk, known in Ukrainian as Bakhmut, signaling a significant turn in the control of the city. This update came from Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the private military company Wagner, who suggested that Russian forces had taken over the central district and the municipal center.
A spokesperson from a Telegram channel connected to the Wagner group stated that at 11:00 p.m. on April 2, the flag was unfurled in front of the city’s administrative building. The message included a dedication to Vladlen Tatarsky, a prominent military blogger who had been killed in an attack on the same day. The flag carried a message reading Good memories, a line some observers connected to Tatarsky’s work and personal history.
The claim of a lawful capture was emphasized by the PMC’s communication office, noting that the commanders who took charge of the city and the central district would display banners as symbols of the change in control. There was also acknowledgement that enemy forces remained in the western parts of the city, indicating ongoing, localized resistance.
Earlier that evening in St. Petersburg, a violent explosion disrupted an event at the Patriot cafe, where a military journalist and blogger known as Vladlen Tatarsky, whose real name is Maxim Fomin, was speaking. The blast injured many attendees and claimed Tatarsky’s life. Investigators soon opened a criminal case under the article concerning murder in a generally dangerous manner. The case was placed under the supervision of the head of the Investigative Committee as part of ongoing investigations into the incident. [Citation: Telegram channel and official statements]
In statements issued after the attack, officials described Tatarsky as a person of sincerity and fairness, expressing condolences and noting that no one could have anticipated such an act would occur in St. Petersburg. These remarks reflected the shock and grief felt across the community. [Citation: Telegram channel]
Subsequent reports indicated that a suspect, a 1997-born woman named Daria Trepova, had been detained on suspicion of involvement in Tatarsky’s murder. A source described Trepova as being taken to an inspectorate. The investigation is examining whether she delivered a box containing a bust of Tatarsky, within which an explosive device was mounted. [Citation: Interfax and local sources]
Tatarsky, who turned 40, hailed from Makeevka near Donetsk. His early life included work in mining before entering private business, and a past prison sentence following an armed bank robbery. He reportedly escaped in 2014 and joined the forces aligned with the Donetsk People’s Republic. He later became active with the DPR militia and expanded his reach through a Telegram channel where he shared front-line reports and opinions on the conflict in Donbass. After the onset of broader military operations in Ukraine, he returned to the DPR and joined the Vostok battalion. [Citation: Biographical summaries]