A Pro-Kremlin Blogger Has Denounced Putin – And Nobody Knows Why

A Kremlin loyalist known for targeting Russia’s opposition has abruptly broken ranks, publicly denouncing President Vladimir Putin in a scathing manifesto that has left both supporters and critics struggling to explain the sudden shift.

On Tuesday night, 42-year-old lawyer and blogger Ilya Remeslo published a post on his Telegram channel titled “Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin.”

In the post, he accuses the Kremlin leader of sending Russians to their deaths in what he called a “dead-end war” against Ukraine, damaging the economy, lowering living standards, tightening control over the internet and media, and allowing corruption to spread.

“Vladimir Putin is not a legitimate president. Vladimir Putin must resign and be put on trial as a war criminal and thief,” the manifesto concludes.

While prominent figures in Russia’s online pro-war community, often referred to as “Z-bloggers,” occasionally criticize authorities, Remeslo’s direct and uncompromising attack on the Russian president is unusual and has triggered widespread speculation across the political spectrum. Pro-Kremlin television host Vladimir Solovyov suggested Remeslo may have “snapped” or possibly “switched camps.”

Apti Alaudinov, who commands Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov’s Akhmat special forces, described Remeslo as “someone who always seemed completely level-headed” and suggested the lawyer might have been kidnapped.

“He was the main driving force behind jailing Navalny. As far as I understood, he was fully on Russia’s side. What he’s doing now is simply alarming — unless he’s being held somewhere against his will or something like that,” Alaudinov said.

Remeslo has long acted as an aggressive supporter of the Kremlin, using his legal background to file complaints against activists and critics of the government. He was closely involved in campaigns against the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny and appeared in court proceedings against him.

Exiled opposition figure Leonid Volkov, who headed Navalny’s 2018 presidential campaign, appeared equally stunned by Remeslo’s manifesto. He described the dramatic reversal as “the fastest mid-air flip I’ve ever seen.”

“I find it hard to imagine any scenario where someone in the presidential administration would approve Remeslo attacking Putin personally. That opens a far too dangerous Pandora’s box. It crosses every red line,” Volkov wrote on X.

“Something doesn’t add up,” he added.

In an interview with the exiled news outlet Agentstvo on Wednesday, Remeslo repeated his criticism of Putin and said life in Russia has continued to worsen despite earlier hopes that conditions would improve. He added that he was certain someone within the Kremlin would bring his manifesto to Putin’s attention.

Remeslo, who lives in St. Petersburg, also said he plans to remain in Russia unless his family is threatened and that he is prepared to face any criminal charges authorities might bring against him.

“They can’t really jail everyone for criticizing Putin,” he told Agentstvo. “That’s nonsense.”

According to reports from St. Petersburg media, Remeslo was later admitted to a mental health facility, although the circumstances surrounding his hospitalization remain unclear.