MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. The absence of any reaction to the death of war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky from Washington, London and Paris is quite indicative, although the West has been calling for protecting journalists who might be a target of terror attacks, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
"It was not long ago when the West was combating extremism and terrorism, marched along Paris in support of journalists who were targets of terror attacks. Today, the absence of reaction from the White House, Downing Street, the Elysee Palace and so forth, bearing in mind their false care about the lives of journalists and the freedom of journalism, speaks for itself. Kiev’s reaction is astonishing when the recipients of Western grants are demonstrating unabashed enthusiasm about what has happened," she said.
"Russian journalists permanently experience threats of violence from the Kiev regime and its inspirers. They are prosecuted, labelled by special marks on digital platforms of American internet monopolies and are subject of witch-hunting in the Western mass media," she noted, adding that this is "taking place before the passive eye of relevant international structures, which cannot be interpreted other than collaboration, if not complicity."
"Vladlen Tatarsky’s professional activities arouse hatred in the Kiev regime. He was dangerous for it," she stressed. "We extend sincere condolences to his family."
"Thanks to Russian war correspondents, the world can see a true picture and learn about what is going on in Ukraine. These people who are safeguarding the truth the global mainstream media have abused," she added.
A blast occurred in Streetfood-bar No1 on Universitetskaya Embankment in central St. Petersburg on Sunday evening. One person - war correspondent Vladlen Tatarsky - died, sixteen more were wounded. According to preliminary data, the explosive device with a yield of more than 200 grams of TNT went off near the stage where Tatarsky was holding an event. According to St. Petersburg governor Alexander Beglov, twenty-five people were wounded, nineteen of them were taken to hospitals. A criminal case was opened.