St. Petersburg

Ilya Remeslo, a former loyal pro-Kremlin blogger and lawyer, has unexpectedly published harsh criticism of Vladimir Putin on his blog, accusing him of waging a failing war and demanding his resignation. The unprecedented public denunciation from a former regime insider has sparked speculation about his motives and raised questions about dissent within Russia's ruling class.

The Russian band Stoptime was arrested multiple times in St. Petersburg in late 2025 for performing songs deemed critical of the war in Ukraine, leading two members to flee the country. The arrests exemplify a pattern of 'carousel arrests' that human rights organizations say has increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.