Pro-Kremlin blogger hospitalized after calling Putin 'war criminal'
Russian authorities have reportedly placed Ilya Remeslo, a prominent pro-war blogger and former loyalist, in a psychiatric facility. The move follows his abrupt public denunciation of President Vladimir Putin, whom he labeled a "war criminal."
The St. Petersburg-based outlet Fontanka reported that Remeslo was hospitalized on March 18. This occurred shortly after he published a series of scathing critiques predicting the imminent collapse of the Russian regime.
For years, Remeslo served as a legal operative for the Kremlin, notably targeting late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. His sudden reversal has triggered intense debate among political analysts and observers of the Russian state.
Analyst Ivan Filippov noted that Remeslo "never acts without a motive," questioning whether the shift was genuine or calculated. Meanwhile, political scientist Abbas Gallyamov suggested the behavior reflects a growing "war fatigue" within Russian society.
Dmitry Oreshkin, another prominent political scientist, argued that the state's reaction was predictable. "The authorities had to react harshly," Oreshkin said. He added that if a loyalist goes "out of control," the system’s instinct is to isolate them.
Observers have noted the speed of the state's response. The use of psychiatric hospitalization against a former insider signals a widening crackdown on any form of dissent, even from within the pro-war camp.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
