Former Officer of Putin’s Elite Security Unit Defects, Labels Russian Leader a “War Criminal

A former officer of President Vladimir Putin’s elite security unit has defected and labeled the Russian leader a “war criminal” in a sweeping interview released Tuesday. Gleb Karakulov, who served as captain and engineer in a field unit of the presidential communications department, the Federalnaya Sluzhba Okhrany (FSO), or Federal Protective Service, said Putin has become increasingly paranoid and prefers to avoid airplanes, traveling on a train that has been adapted for his needs.

Karakulov, the highest-ranking defector to speak out about the war on Ukraine, said the “invasion of the territory of a sovereign state is simply beyond comprehension” and called Putin a “war criminal” for the “war of aggression, terrorism, and genocide of the Ukrainian people.”

Karakulov said he fled while he was on a government trip to Kazakhstan, and that he was motivated to speak out against Putin’s actions because of his own experiences in the military. He said he had witnessed the “inhumanity and cruelty” of the Russian military in Ukraine, and that he could no longer remain silent.

Karakulov’s defection and criticism of Putin is a rare event, and his words are likely to be seen as a major blow to the Russian president’s reputation. It remains to be seen how Putin will respond to the criticism, but it is clear that Karakulov’s words have put a spotlight on the war in Ukraine and the actions of the Russian government.