Moscow, Mar 21 (EFE).- A growing group of pro-war Russian bloggers, once staunch supporters of the Kremlin’s campaign in Ukraine, have emerged as unlikely critics of President Vladimir Putin, voicing anger over censorship, battlefield stagnation, and tightening state control over the internet.
The so-called “Z bloggers” “are outraged by the work of the Duma (lower house of parliament), and see what is happening as an attempt by unknown forces to create a pre-revolutionary situation in Russia,” said Iván Filíppov, a journalist and researcher of Russia’s ultranationalist community, speaking to independent media.
Kremlin missteps, he argued, have achieved the unthinkable: aligning the demands of these “turbo-patriots” with those of supporters of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Friendly fire
Criticism has intensified as authorities restrict internet access, what experts describe as the beginning of Russia’s gradual disconnection from the global web.
One of the most striking cases is that of lawyer and blogger Ilya Remeslo, a Kremlin-aligned figure who previously denounced Navalny and testified against him in court.
“Putin told me we would never follow the Chinese path. But he lied,” Remeslo wrote on Telegram.
“Putin himself doesn’t even use the internet, which is disgraceful for a head of state. Mobile internet barely works, even in major cities. Western social media platforms and search engines have been blocked.”
Remeslo went further, calling Putin an illegitimate president and a “war criminal,” and demanding that he be brought to justice, accusing him, among other things, of allowing his inner circle to enrich itself.
“There’s a limit to everything. We need a new, modern president,” he added. “Now the war is being fought solely to satisfy Putin’s personal ambitions. Ordinary citizens gain nothing, we only lose.”
According to the Fontanka news portal, the blogger has since been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in St. Petersburg, though it remains unclear whether the admission was voluntary.
Telegram: a vital tool
Restrictions on the Telegram messaging platform, a setback for many Russians, have been particularly alarming for pro-war bloggers, who have built both their influence and income on the app over the past four years.
Most of them were virtually unknown before February 2022, and may fade again when the war ends.
They also argue that Telegram is a critical communication tool for Russian soldiers on the front lines. While the Kremlin claims it poses security risks, bloggers and military personnel insist it saves lives.
Filíppov notes that the platform, created by Pavel Durov, is essential for coordinating volunteers who supply front-line units with radios, drones, and other equipment, often filling gaps left by the military.
Rising tensions within the ranks
In recent months, the demands of the Z bloggers have increasingly placed them “on the same side of the barricades” as exiled democratic opposition figures, despite their stark ideological differences.
“We are against the slowing of Telegram, against internet restrictions, against censorship, and in favor of freedom of expression,” Filíppov said, describing a rare convergence of grievances.
Another flashpoint has been protests by Siberian farmers over the mass slaughter of cattle, which authorities have failed to adequately explain—fueling anger among both bloggers and opposition figures.
Some observers have drawn parallels with the miners’ protests in the final years of the Soviet Union.
Filíppov adds that bloggers’ posts have grown more critical in recent weeks, also reflecting the lack of major battlefield gains in Ukraine since 2025.
In some cases, bloggers have gone as far as warning of a potential rebellion against the Kremlin, and suggesting they would not defend the current regime if it were to occur.
This rhetoric echoes the June 2023 uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, which received support from segments of the ultranationalist camp. Prigozhin died two months later when his plane crashed under unclear circumstances. EFE
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