Finance
Blogger Who Criticised Putin Has Been Put in Psychiatric Facility, Local Newspaper Reports
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 19, 2026
Quick Summary
A pro‑Kremlin blogger, Ilya Remeslo, publicly denounced Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war in a viral Telegram post and has since been reportedly placed in Psychiatric Hospital No. 3 in St. Petersburg, according to local media, though independent confirmation remains pending.
Blogger Who Criticised Putin Reportedly Placed in Psychiatric Facility
Pro-Kremlin Blogger's Sudden Criticism and Aftermath
By Lucy Papachristou
Ilya Remeslo’s Viral Manifesto
March 19 (Reuters) - A pro-Kremlin figure who unexpectedly denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine in a social media post this week that went viral has been placed in a psychiatric facility, Russian media reported on Thursday.
Ilya Remeslo made a career denouncing Putin's critics until he became one himself, posting a manifesto late on Tuesday to his 90,000 followers on Telegram entitled: "Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin."
Key Points from Remeslo’s Criticism
He said Putin had prosecuted a "failing war" in Ukraine that had killed millions and torpedoed Russia's economy to the detriment of its citizens' well-being.
Direct Accusations Against Putin
"Vladimir Putin is not a legitimate president. Vladimir Putin must resign and be brought to trial as a war criminal and a thief," Remeslo wrote in his post.
Hospitalisation and Media Reports
On Thursday, St Petersburg's Fontanka newspaper reported Remeslo had been hospitalised in the city's Psychiatric Hospital No. 3. It said the hospital's information desk confirmed a patient with Remeslo's name and surname was available to receive packages.
Unconfirmed Details
Reuters was unable to immediately confirm Remeslo was in the facility. Fontanka did not specify the grounds on which he may have been admitted.
(Reporting by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones)
Key Takeaways
- •Ilya Remeslo, once a Putin supporter turned critic, posted a scathing manifesto titled “Five reasons why I stopped supporting Vladimir Putin.” Reuters reports he was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility following that post (reddit.com)
- •The use of psychiatric hospitals as a tool of political repression in Russia has precedents and has reportedly increased since the Ukraine war began, according to expert analyses (jamestown.org)
- •Local newspaper Fontanka reported the hospitalization but did not specify legal or medical grounds, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the claim (jamestown.org)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Blogger who criticised Putin has been put in psychiatric facility, local newspaper reports
1Who is Ilya Remeslo?
Ilya Remeslo is a Russian blogger and previously a pro-Kremlin figure who gained attention after criticizing Putin and the war in Ukraine.
2Why was Ilya Remeslo hospitalized?
Local media reported that Ilya Remeslo was placed in a psychiatric facility after posting a manifesto denouncing Putin and the war in Ukraine.
3What did Ilya Remeslo say about Putin?
He accused Putin of leading a 'failing war' in Ukraine, harming Russia’s economy, and called for Putin’s resignation and prosecution.
4Where is Ilya Remeslo reportedly being held?
He is reportedly in St Petersburg’s Psychiatric Hospital No. 3, according to local newspaper Fontanka.
5Is it confirmed that Remeslo is in the psychiatric facility?
Reuters was unable to immediately confirm Remeslo's presence, though Fontanka said his name was listed at the hospital.
