Pro-Kremlin Blogger Turns on Putin, Sent to Psychiatric Care

Remeslo went on to argue that the Russian president had been in power for too long and was apparently planning to "remain on the throne for at least 150 years."

He also described Putin's press conferences as a "circus" and concluded by saying that he was not a legitimate president: "Putin must resign and be brought to justice as a war criminal and a thief."

The next day, Remeslo posted some videos online to prove that he was still living in Russia. He also said he was prepared to go to jail now so that he could live as a hero later, after Putin's downfall.

The manifesto and videos caused quite a stir and have apparently landed Remeslo in St. Petersburg's Psychiatric Hospital No. 3. It is unclear how this came to be, but all contact with him seems to have been lost and people are wondering what happened.

From anti-Navalny Z-blogger to dissident?

While there have been occasional instances of public outcry against the system in Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Remeslo was hitherto the absolute opposite of a critic. He was one of the best-known "Z-bloggers," a term used to describe patriots who support the war in Ukraine and campaign against dissent.

Remeslo became known to the Russian public through his crusade against the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, for whose arrest he was largely responsible and against whom he testified in courtrooms across Russia. Navalny died in prison in early 2024 while serving a lengthy sentence on charges of extremism, among others.

In an interview conducted before he was admitted to the psychiatric hospital, Remeslo claimed he had acted of his own free will, acknowledging that his seemingly sudden change of sides might appear contradictory. He attributed the change to personal evolution and a new "mission" in life.

Remeslo said his previous campaigns against the Russian opposition were no longer in keeping with his current views. He explained that these had begun to change after the Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had dared to rise up against the Kremlin and failed in 2023. Remeslo said he was aware of the risks, but insisted he would not flee to another country. He added that he hoped there would be political change this year.

Former allies are puzzled

Remeslo's apparent decision to switch sides has not gone down well with his former allies. "I am deeply shocked," said Apti Alaudinov, the head of a Chechen special forces unit, with which Remeslo had previously worked. Alaudinov said on his Telegram channel that Remeslo "was a completely adequate, pro-Russian, pro-presidential person with extensive connections in the security services" and that perhaps he had been forced to make the unexpected statements.

Russia's most famous propagandist, TV host Vladimir Solovyov, said Remeslo had likely suffered a "nervous breakdown" because of the war and noted that some people could not "keep their cool." Various pro-government websites dismissed Remeslo's criticism of Putin as an attempt to destabilize Russia, while some said it was clever move, an experiment that must be "benefitting somebody."

'Accomplice in the murder of Alexei Navalny'

Ivan Filippov, a researcher specialized in Russian propaganda, described Remeslo in an interview with DW as an "accomplice in the murder of Alexei Navalny" and added that the blogger "never does anything just like that and never for free."

Filippov pointed out that Remeslo's comments about Putin being a "war criminal" and a "thief" were unprecedented and could lead to the blogger's arrest.

Political scientist Abbas Gallyamov said Remeslo's alleged change of heart was part of a broader trend in Russia. "A shift in this direction is taking place both in the media and in society as a whole," he told DW, saying that this was due to war fatigue, economic problems and dwindling trust in the government.

Abbamov's colleague, Dmitry Oreshkin, said Remeslo had probably been forced into psychiatric care. "The authorities inevitably had to react harshly. If you don't want to make him a hero, you have to somehow humiliate or break him. If he's gone off the rails and become hysteric — you have to isolate him somehow," he said.

Oreshkin said St. Petersburg's Psychiatric Clinic No. 3 had a grim reputation dating back to the Soviet era as a facility for forensic psychiatry. For him, the wide range of reactions across Russia — from hysterical to hopeless and aggressive — was telling. Russia is in a state of political "drug-induced lethargy," he said, if such outbursts on social media are perceived as major political events.

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