Overview
- Remeslo, a 42-year-old jurist and longtime pro-Kremlin propagandist, posted a five-point manifesto on Telegram declaring Vladimir Putin illegitimate and calling for his resignation and trial as a war criminal.
- He described the Ukraine war as a dead-end conflict that has caused massive casualties and economic damage, and he accused the state of choking media and internet freedoms.
- Remeslo said in a video that his account was not hacked, reiterated his stance in interviews including with The Guardian, and stated he remained in Russia.
- Multiple outlets citing St. Petersburg portal Fontanka reported he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the city, with local journalists told a patient with his name had been received.
- Opposition figures such as Leonid Volkov suggested the episode could be a Kremlin or FSB operation, while state-aligned media mocked Remeslo, all unfolding against a backdrop of wartime losses, economic strain, tighter Telegram controls, and upcoming parliamentary elections.