A Russian veteran has been jailed for at least 11 days after posting a viral video warning President Vladimir Putin that the army might turn its weapons on the Kremlin. Aleksandr Lunin, 39, was found guilty of 'displaying extremist or Nazi symbols,' according to TVP World.
Veteran's warning to Putin
Lunin used the video, viewed more than 12 million times in 24 hours, to demand a live televised meeting with Putin. He claimed to have spoken with high-ranking officials at the Ministry of Defense and wanted to 'tell the truth about what is happening to our country right now.'
'At the moment, dozens, hundreds, thousands of our soldiers are sitting in dungeons, punished by their commanders,' Lunin said. 'They are sitting there rotting, being subjected to torture and violence by the so-called “Gestapo.” They are there because they refused to carry out stupid, suicidal orders. They are there because they refused to hand over their financial assets and in the end they are eliminated – declared missing.'
Background of the former serviceman
Lunin served as a volunteer on the frontline of Russia's 'special military operation' in Ukraine in 2022 but later returned to his home in southwestern Russia. In the video, he directly addressed Putin: 'Vladimir Vladimirovich, please take note of this. Invite me for a meeting. The consequences could be very serious. If in the future I do not come to the Kremlin and speak live on air next to you, the army will turn its weapons against the Kremlin. I’m only passing on the message.'
Legal proceedings and response
Lunin appealed his conviction in a court in Russia's Voronezh region. The Kremlin stated it had not yet reviewed the footage. First-time offenders guilty of 'displaying extremist symbols' can face up to 15 days in jail.
Broader context of the war
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in a speech on the Defence Infrastructure Plan, insisted Ukraine was 'holding strong' and 'increasingly able to push Russia back on the battlefield.' He noted 'clear signs' that Moscow's mood was shifting due to the war's toll on the Russian economy.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced the closure of seven railway crossings from Finland, Estonia, and Latvia. While these lines are no longer major trade routes, the suspension of passenger and goods movement signals further severing of ties with neighbours. Putin also promised to address fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on oil infrastructure, with some regions like Crimea nearly out of diesel. He suggested a possible ban on diesel exports.
