The subway #Bomb in #St Petersburg that killed 11 people on Monday happened just as Mr Putin was in town for a conference. The subway was shut down for about five hours, and the city was stalled in chaos and panic as another bomb was found at the Metro Station. This bomb was disguised as a fire extinguisher, and was unpicked.
A city in chaos
As people had to make long treks home or to work, the St Petersburg Mayor Georgi Poltavchenko made a speech appealing to the citizens of St Petersburg to be alert and cautious. He told them to "behave in a responsible manner." He declared a three-day period of mourning starting on Tuesday.
Putin speaks out
Only an hour after the explosion, Mr Putin came on television from the Constantine Palace in the Strelna district of the old city, and it was only a few miles from the blast. He said that he had consorted with the special services and law enforcement and that they would do everything they could do find out what had happened and who was responsible.