Remeslo posted a manifesto titled 'Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin' to his 90,000 Telegram followers, according to multiple reports. In his manifesto, Remeslo accused Putin of waging a failing war in Ukraine that has caused millions of casualties and wrecked the economy. He claimed the Russian army is not advancing in Ukraine, the war is going nowhere, and there are massive losses over tiny territories that will give Russia nothing.
Remeslo called Putin an 'illegitimate' president and argued that his more than two decades in power illustrate how 'absolute power corrupts', multiple reports indicate. He called for Putin to resign and be put on trial as a war criminal. Remeslo also criticized Putin's authoritarian rule, the state of the economy, and Moscow's recent push to shut down internet access, according to major media sources.
Vladimir Putin should resign and be put on trial as a war criminal. His personalised, corrupt system is doomed to collapse, as we’re seeing now with the war in Ukraine and elsewhere.
Remeslo has been a former member of Russia's public chamber, a Kremlin-controlled advisory body, and was known as a regime henchman who targeted critics like Alexei Navalny, multiple reports indicate. His criticism marked a rare breach of longstanding taboos, with researcher Ivan Philippov calling it 'unprecedented', according to major media. Author Mark Galeotti suggested that Remeslo's turn against Putin is symbolic of a potential erosion of his authority and growing paranoia about plots within his administration, according to major media.
Remeslo's turn provoked speculation, including theories that his account was hacked or that it was a staged Kremlin provocation, according to major media. He denied that his criticism was staged or directed by anyone, claiming he was 'just speaking the truth', according to major media. Ivan Philippov suggested Remeslo may have been having a 'mental breakdown', according to major media.
The army isn’t advancing in Ukraine, and the war is going nowhere. There are massive losses. We are fighting over tiny territories that will ultimately give Russia nothing.
Remeslo has allegedly admitted himself to Psychiatric Hospital No. 3 in St. Petersburg, according to multiple reports. However, according to Russian media, Remeslo was taken from his home by ambulance to the psychiatric hospital. Remeslo is reportedly in ward number 16 of the hospital, which typically treats male mental health patients experiencing first-time issues like hallucinations, thought disorders, and incoherent speech, according to major media. His sister is a well-known psychiatrist in St. Petersburg, according to major media.
In a separate development, Victoria Bonya, a pro-Kremlin influencer with 13 million followers, posted an 18-minute video address to Putin, warning him that the public are ready to 'snap' due to economic crises, according to major media. Bonya claimed that Putin is receiving false reports from officials and has no real understanding of the hardship facing Russians, according to major media.
This man [Putin] has destroyed everything he could lay his hands on. The country is literally falling apart.
Bonya's video quickly went viral, racking up over 6.6 million views and 370,000 likes within less than 12 hours, according to major media. Reaction to Bonya's video was split online, with some praising her and others mocking her claims that Putin is unaware of events, according to major media.
Russian sociologist Igor Eidman said Remeslo's 'mutiny' is evidence of a divide within the ruling class, according to major media. This aligns with broader analyst perspectives that such public criticism from former loyalists could signal underlying tensions within the regime, potentially impacting Putin's authority.
None of this is staged. I am just speaking the truth.
The specific reasons for Ilya Remeslo's admission to the psychiatric hospital remain unclear, and it is unknown whether his criticism of Putin is a genuine change of heart, a staged provocation, or the result of a mental health issue. How the Kremlin will respond to these public criticisms from former loyalists like Remeslo and Bonya has not been confirmed, and the extent to which their views reflect broader dissent within Russian society or the ruling class is uncertain. The impact, if any, that these criticisms will have on Putin's authority or the war in Ukraine is yet to be seen, but analysts suggest they may signal underlying tensions within the regime.
This really is unprecedented. I am struggling to make sense of it.
Ultimately, it may well be that this was just sour grapes....Remeslo himself is not that important. However, his case - and the way even the government press has not been able completely to ignore it - highlights the growing sense that the foundations of the regime are being eroded.
Vladimir Putin must resign and be brought to trial as a war criminal and a thief.
People are afraid of you. Ordinary people are afraid, bloggers are afraid, artists are afraid. Governors are afraid of you.
The most frightening thing is that this is happening because you, Vladimir [Putin], do not know what is going on in the country. You are not being given accurate information.
People are suffering greatly today. Businesses are dying - small and medium-sized businesses. People are losing money.
Do you know what this leads to? I'll tell you. People will grow tired of being afraid. They are being compressed like a spring - and one day that spring will snap.