Pro-Kremlin Russian blogger who turned on Putin sent to psychiatric unit

Ilya Remeslo, a pro-Kremlin Russian blogger, has been placed in a psychiatric facility in St. Petersburg after publicly denouncing Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. Remeslo, who previously made a career criticizing Putin's opponents, posted a manifesto on Telegram outlining "Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin." In the post, which went viral, he accused Putin of prosecuting a failing war, damaging Russia's economy, and illegitimately holding the presidency, calling for his resignation and trial as a war criminal. Fontanka, a St. Petersburg newspaper, reported Remeslo's hospitalization at Psychiatric Hospital No. 3, which was confirmed by the hospital's information desk.

Ilya Remeslo, a former pro-Kremlin lawyer known for targeting critics of the Russian government, has publicly denounced Vladimir Putin and called for his resignation and trial as a war criminal. In a Telegram post to his followers on Tuesday, Remeslo cited the failing war in Ukraine, economic devastation, and Putin's corrupt, authoritarian rule as reasons for his change of heart. He criticized the lack of progress in Ukraine, the high casualties, and the destruction of the Russian economy. Remeslo's outburst is considered unprecedented, as few within Russia's pro-war community have directly challenged Putin. His denouncement has sparked speculation and confusion given his history as a staunch loyalist and his past work targeting opposition figures like Alexei Navalny.