The Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) continues to identify all those involved in the terrorist attack in a cafe in St. Petersburg, which killed military correspondent Maxim Fomin, known under the pseudonym Vladlen Tatarsky. In the criminal case initiated by the ICR under paragraph “b” of Part 3 of Art. 205, part 4 of Art. 222.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (terrorist act committed by an organized group, resulting in the deliberate infliction of death on a person; illegal carrying of explosive devices committed by an organized group), a new defendant has appeared.
It was the journalist Roman Popkov, who lives in Ukraine. Investigators came to the conclusion that it was he who corresponded with the arrested Darya Trepova on social networks and gave her instructions on how to prepare for the attack. The ICR charged Popkov in absentia under Part 4 of Art. 205.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (leadership in the commission of a terrorist act) and put him on the wanted list.
The day after the attack, Popkov himself assured that he had nothing to do with the explosion. “I didn’t give any orders to Dasha, I didn’t introduce her to any Ukrainian intelligence officers. I know Dasha from social networks – she is my subscriber, I also subscribe to her Twitter, we sometimes corresponded – she was interested in journalism, ”he wrote in his Telegram channel.
In addition to Popkov, the Investigative Committee identified another suspect in involvement in the explosion. On May 17, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs added Yuriy Denisov, a native of Ukraine, to the search base. According to the ICR, in February 2023, Denisov arrived in Russia as a member of an organized criminal group and handed Trepova a figurine with an explosive, which she brought to a cafe to meet with Fomin (Tatarsky).
Now Trepova is in jail. She was charged under paragraph “b” part 3 of Art. 205, part 4 of Art. 222.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (a terrorist attack committed by an organized group that resulted in the deliberate infliction of death on a person; illegal carrying of explosive devices committed by an organized group). She admits her guilt. On June 1, the Basmanny Court extended her detention until September 2, 2023.
Popkov was born in the Bryansk region. There he began his political activity – in the organization “Russian National Unity” (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), one of his acquaintances told Vedomosti. Then Popkov became interested in the ideas of the National Bolshevik Party (NBP; recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) by Eduard Limonov: first he headed its Bryansk branch, then Moscow.
In 2003, Popkov, along with other NBP activists, was detained by the Lithuanian security forces, recalls the source of Vedomosti. Then he, along with other National Bolsheviks, blocked a train car en route to Kaliningrad, demanding that the authorities of the republic cancel the visa regime for Russians.
In 2006, Popkov was taken into custody in the case of an attack by activists of the Local movement on Limonov and his associates near the Tagansky court building. In 2008 he was sentenced to two years and three months in prison under Art. 213 Art. Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Hooliganism”. Most of the sentence he served in jail before the verdict.
In 2009, Popkov was expelled from the NBP for “factional activity,” according to Vedomosti’s source. After that, he announced the creation of his own movement, the Freedom Nation. For some time he collaborated with the publications Special Letter and MBKh Media (recognized as a foreign agent in Russia).
In 2021, Popkov and his wife left Russia for Ukraine. He worked in the Vot so publication of the Polish TV channel Belsat, as well as for the former State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev (recognized in Russia as a foreign agent, like Popkov and Trepova, included in the list of extremists and terrorists). The terrorist act, in which Popkov is accused, took place in St. Petersburg on April 2. According to the investigation, during a creative evening of Vladlen Tatarsky in the Patriot cafe in the city center, 26-year-old Daria Trepova handed over a bust to the military commissar, which contained explosives. She detonated after the presentation of the statuette to Tatarsky. Trepova was detained the next day, April 3.
After the detention and arrest of Trepova, publications signed by Popkov ceased to appear on the website of Vot so. On social networks, the person accused of the terrorist attack actively supports neo-Nazis from the so-called Russian Volunteer Corps.