A Russian war veteran and military blogger, Alexander Lunin, has sparked widespread debate in Russia after publishing a video accusing military commanders of systematically torturing soldiers and calling for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
In a video posted on Instagram on June 25, Lunin claimed that dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of Russian soldiers were being held in inhumane conditions by their own commanders after refusing what he described as “suicidal” orders or refusing to pay bribes to avoid being sent to the front lines.
He said he was speaking on behalf of a group of military and security officials who had allegedly asked him to deliver their message directly to the Kremlin. Lunin even warned that if he was not granted a meeting with Putin, “the army would turn its weapons against the Kremlin.” However, he provided no evidence to support these allegations.
Just one day later, on June 26, Lunin released another video in which he completely reversed his position. He said his previous remarks had been misinterpreted and denied calling for a military uprising. According to him, if there were ever to be a rebellion, it would not be announced publicly.
Lunin also withdrew his request for a meeting with Putin but said he would continue trying to inform the Russian president about what he described as abuses against soldiers who refuse orders or decline to pay bribes.
His comments come as signs of war fatigue continue to emerge in Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to estimates by Western intelligence agencies, the war has resulted in more than half a million Russian casualties.
The incident also coincides with the third anniversary of the failed mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had accused Russia’s military leadership of wasting soldiers’ lives on the battlefield. Two months after the rebellion, Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash that many analysts believe was an assassination.
In his video, Lunin claimed he had received thousands of messages and videos allegedly documenting the torture of Russian soldiers. Although he did not release any concrete evidence, previous reports have documented cases of Russian troops being punished, confined in basements or pits, and abused for refusing to fight on the front lines.
Asked about Lunin’s statements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the authorities were aware of the appeal but declined to comment on its contents before reviewing it, describing its wording as “strange.”
According to the Russian outlet Agentstvo, Lunin joined a Russian volunteer battalion in occupied Ukrainian territory in 2023, first serving as a sniper and later as a commander. He has said that he left the front in 2025. The outlet also reported that one day before publishing the video, Lunin was visited by representatives of Russia’s Interior Ministry and Defense Ministry and later met with an official from the regional administration of Voronezh.
