Statue Explodes in His Hands Injuring 25 Others: Martirosyan on Shift in Russo-Ukrainian Conflict

Political scientist Hayk Martirosyan writes on his Facebook page: "In St. Petersburg, at a café formerly owned by Prigozhin, Vladlen Tatarsky was killed during a public gathering. Tatarsky was known for declaring last year in the Kremlin that they would kill all their enemies, destroy everyone, and also rob everyone. He had half a million followers on Telegram and was among Russia's most famous war bloggers and military pseudo-journalists-propagandists.

Tatarsky's death occurred when a figurine was presented to him during the event, which exploded in his hands, injuring another 25 people. No force has claimed responsibility for the act, but it is clear which country might be behind it. Most likely, it was carried out by Ukrainian special services.

To understand what this means as a new turn in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, it is necessary to grasp what exactly is happening or has happened. What is happening is that for several years, the highly willful, dignified, and heroic Ukrainian forces have been following the path of Israeliization. The Israelis were the first, even before the establishment of the state, still during the British occupation, to create several civilian special services and began to carry out assassination attempts against anyone they deemed occupiers of the Jewish homeland.

Shortly after the founding of Israel, with the emergence of Mossad, Shin Bet, and Aman, systematic liquidations began first against genocidal Nazi Germans, and later against Palestinian terrorists and their associates. This whole process has a long history, but a few important points: No one whose hands were stained with Jewish blood should remain in the world. This still applies today. Anyone who plans to harm any Jew or is associated with any life-threatening initiative or action is tracked down and removed, ensuring they do not return.

Initially, the state would not take responsibility for almost all of these assassinations, denying its involvement. However, with the advent of aviation, especially drones, and the army, the state began to openly acknowledge its responsibility for operations. Then came a period of silent, or as it is termed, "quiet script" assassinations. To this day, Mossad, Shin Bet, and Aman have carried out thousands of similar operations, termed "targeted killings" for decades.

Only a few countries in the world have borrowed Israeli methods and use Israel as a template for their special operations. Even the US, during the post-September 11th period, began to rely on allied Israel's example.

The important aspect of all this is that, although sometimes there were opposite effects, the vast majority of Israeli-type operations have achieved their deep political goals. Thus, Israel has thwarted Egypt's ballistic missile program involving German scientists, which posed a threat to it; similarly, it has halted Saddam Hussein's nuclear program and has disrupted countless operations against itself, demoralizing thousands of its enemy individuals and groups by making the inevitability of death clear.

Therefore, targeted killings are an incredibly effective method in wartime. These operations are typically highly sophisticated and systematic, with the most improbable and unprecedented examples again belonging to Israel.

Today, it is highly likely that Ukraine has carried out such an operation within Russia. Most likely, it was an exceedingly complex and risky, yet fearless operation, with enormous political implications. A Kremlin-affiliated propagandist has been eliminated, right within Kremlin territory. This was likely in response to his statements and the influence he had achieved, serving as a lesson to other Russian propagandists.

This means that Ukraine is opening a new front in this war, which will alter the course of the conflict in the public domain. This message will be received by other anti-Ukrainian propagandists, and within anti-Ukrainian circles, deep fear and uncertainty about their future will emerge. Such developments cannot occur without real consequences.

Ukraine has also shown through this action that it is incredibly determined, fearless, and capable of carrying out operations of this quality even in the heart of the enemy's territory. In other words, this is the Israeliization of Ukraine: a step that will yield immense practical dividends for Ukraine and bring it one step closer to its aspiration."