Russian War Bloggers: Loyal to the Regime but Not Safe from Repression
Even loyal supporters of Russia's war in Ukraine can face repression if they dare to criticize Putin directly. The fates of several bloggers illustrate this trend.
In Russia, even bloggers who actively support the war in Ukraine and echo the Kremlin's line are not immune to persecution if their criticism targets President Vladimir Putin. Several recent cases highlight this.
One prominent example is Yegor Guzenko, known as "Thirteenth" on Telegram. After he accused Putin of lying about internet outages in April 2026, he disappeared. It is believed he was sent to the front line as punishment, despite a serious leg fracture, essentially on a one-way ticket. His fate remains unknown.
Another case is Ilya Remeslo, previously a staunch pro-regime activist, who suddenly turned against Putin in March 2026, calling the war a "dead end." Shortly after, he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in St. Petersburg but was released a month later. Speculation suggests the hospitalization may have been a way to protect him from worse consequences. After release, he continued criticizing authorities.
The most famous war blogger, Igor Girkin (Strelkov), was already convicted of extremism for criticizing Putin and is now imprisoned in Russia. He received a four-year sentence but still manages to post via his partner, though his influence has waned.
These cases demonstrate that in Russia, even the most loyal propagandists can become targets if they cross the unwritten line of directly criticizing Putin.
