In an unprecedented move, Russian government officials have publicly responded to harsh criticism from a prominent social media personality who warned President Vladimir Putin that his people are being pushed to a breaking point.
Viktoria Bonya, a celebrity known for her reality television appearances and massive online following, created a video message directed at Putin that has garnered over 20 million views and more than 1 million likes on Instagram this week.
Living abroad but claiming to support Putin, Bonya delivered a stark warning about corruption and government failures in her homeland. She argued that Putin’s subordinates are concealing the truth about Russia’s genuine challenges from their leader.
“You know what the risk is?” she said. “That people will stop being afraid and they’re being squeezed into a coiled spring and that one day that coiled spring will shoot out.”
The influencer’s complaints covered multiple issues, including aggressive restrictions on internet access, social media platforms, and messaging applications. She also criticized the government’s delayed response to flooding in Dagestan and poor handling of a Siberian cattle disease outbreak that resulted in controversial animal culling.
“The people are afraid of you,” she told Putin. “There is a big wall between the people and you,” she said, blaming regional governors, government officials and lawmakers for not telling Putin the truth about what was going on.
Despite Instagram being prohibited in Russia along with Facebook, citizens can still access the platform through virtual private networks.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov broke from typical protocol by addressing Bonya’s viral message directly.
“Of course, we’ve seen it. It’s quite popular,” Peskov stated during a press briefing.
“It touches on many topics, on each of which, as you can see – as you have seen – work is actually being done,” he said.
“But, to be fair, a great deal of work is being done on them, a large number of people are involved, and none of this has been overlooked,” he added.
Political observers note that portraying Putin as a well-intentioned leader misled by corrupt advisers is a familiar narrative in Russian discourse. Some critics speculate that Bonya’s appeal might have been orchestrated by authorities to create an impression of government responsiveness ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.
The timing of her public statements coincides with reported behind-the-scenes pressure from senior Kremlin figures and former business leaders who have expressed frustration over mobile internet restrictions and the blocking of the Telegram messaging service.
However, Bonya maintains that her decision to address Putin publicly was entirely independent and motivated by her desire to advocate for ordinary Russian citizens.
