Russian Blogger Denounces Putin, Hospitalized

A prominent pro-Kremlin blogger and lawyer from St. Petersburg, Russia, who spent years defending President Vladimir Putin and attacking his critics, abruptly denounced the leader in a viral social media post this week before being hospitalized in a psychiatric facility.

Ilya Remeslo, 42, published a manifesto titled "Five Reasons Why I Stopped Supporting Vladimir Putin" on his Telegram channel late on March 18. The post, which reached his 90,000 followers and quickly spread across Russian online platforms, accused Putin of waging a "dead-end" war in Ukraine that has caused millions of casualties and devastated the economy. Remeslo criticized the erosion of living standards, increased government control over the internet and media, and rampant corruption under Putin's more than two-decade rule. He declared that "absolute power corrupts" and concluded that Putin was not a legitimate president who must resign and face trial as a war criminal and thief.

Remeslo, formerly a member of Russia's Public Chamber, had built his career as a vocal supporter of the Kremlin. He frequently filed legal complaints against opposition figures, including testifying in court cases against the late...