Pro-Kremlin blogger who recently criticised Putin placed in psychiatric hospital

Ilya Remeslo, a pro-Kremlin Russian blogger and informant who recently spoke out against Russian leader Vladimir Putin, has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

Source: Deutsche Welle, a German international broadcaster and media outlet; Meduza, a Latvia-based Russian media outlet

Details: On 19 March, other pro-war bloggers first reported that Remeslo had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, which was later confirmed by Fontanka, a St Petersburg-based news outlet. A representative of the medical facility told journalists that a patient by that name is indeed being treated there.

According to media reports, Remeslo, who had been actively giving interviews on Wednesday, stopped responding and disappeared from social media for several hours on Thursday morning.

Based on the department he was admitted to, which specialises in treating men with first-time psychotic symptoms, Fontanka noted that he had not previously been under psychiatric observation. Social media users also pointed out that his sister is a well-known psychiatrist in St Petersburg.

Some commentators, particularly pro-war bloggers, suggested that Remeslo may have been admitted in an attempt to avoid potential criminal prosecution following his criticism of Putin.

Meanwhile, two sources cited by Meduza claim this is not his first hospitalisation.

Remeslo, 42, is a former member of Russia's Civic Chamber and a lawyer. Until recently, he actively supported the Russian authorities on his blog and criticised the opposition. He also filed several complaints against opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his associates, playing a prominent role in a case concerning alleged fraud related to donations to Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation.

On the evening of 17 March and the morning of 18 March, Remeslo unexpectedly made a series of social media posts sharply criticising Kremlin policy. Among other things, he described the war in Ukraine as "a dead end" and called for Putin to be tried as an "illegitimate president".

These posts sparked a backlash among pro-war commentators. For example, Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen Akhmat special forces unit, said Remeslo had criticised the authorities "at one of the most difficult moments for the country" in pursuit of "followers and self-promotion". Some initially suggested his account had been hacked, but Remeslo denied this on 18 March.

On the same day, he gave a lengthy interview to The Breakfast Show, a YouTube project hosted by journalist Aleksandr Plyushchev. The full version was posted after reports of Remeslo's hospitalisation emerged.

Remeslo came to the interview recording wearing a shirt similar in colour and cut to a military uniform. He did not seem to show signs of mental health issues. In response to Plyushchev's questions, the blogger stated that he was acting independently, without any external influence or agreements and said he had no legal problems.

Explaining his scathing criticism of Putin, he said: "I started thinking about this two or three years ago. After the disgraceful episode involving the mutiny by Prigozhin [founder of the Wagner Private Military Company], when Putin behaved rather cowardly, in my view. I didn't like that at all, and I realised I could no longer respect such a person. Then the situation on the battlefield improved, and most importantly, Trump appeared and began proposing peace deals to Putin. That gave me hope for a while, but nothing happened. I began to doubt whether Putin even wants to end the war. After speaking with Akhmat fighters and visiting the line of contact, I concluded that things are bad and unlikely to improve. It's time to draw a line – with Putin, we're going nowhere and he'll continue to do what he wants."

Asked about his view of the war, Remeslo said he disliked the fact that the "special military operation" [the way the Russians call their full-scale war against Ukraine] was turning into a protracted conflict and would prefer Russia and Ukraine to reach a peace agreement.

According to Meduza, Remeslo said he had long wanted to speak out but chose to do so now because he believes the current Russian system may soon collapse. He did not clearly explain the basis for this belief, joking instead that Putin "has a bad horoscope" and adding that the system of power he built is increasingly prone to making mistakes.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!