A pro-Kremlin individual, Ilya Remezulo, recently gained attention on social media for unexpectedly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Following this, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, as reported on Thursday.
Remezulo, known for his past role in criticizing those who oppose Putin, reversed his stance on Tuesday when he shared a manifesto with his 90,000 Telegram followers, declaring “Five Reasons I Stopped Supporting Vladimir Putin.”
In his message, he labeled Putin’s military actions in Ukraine as a “failed war” that had caused numerous deaths, severely impacted Russia’s economy, and harmed the wellbeing of its citizens.
He went on to state, “Vladimir Putin is not a legitimate president. He should resign and face trial as a war criminal and thief.”
This sudden shift in viewpoint surprised both supporters of the war and exiled critics of the Kremlin.
On Thursday, the St. Petersburg newspaper Fontanka reported that Remezulo had been taken to the city’s 3rd psychiatric hospital.
Efforts to reach Remezulo for comment were unsuccessful, and details surrounding his hospitalization remained undisclosed.
A hospital staff member confirmed to Reuters that a person matching Remezulo’s full name was admitted but did not provide further specifics about his circumstances.
The 42-year-old Remezulo, previously a lawyer and part of a Kremlin-controlled advisory group, had been a notable critic of Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition figure who passed away in 2024 while incarcerated in an Arctic penal facility.
