Russian soldier who threatened Putin with revolt released, deletes viral message

Russian soldier Aleksandr Lunin, who gained notoriety for a viral video threatening a potential army revolt against the Kremlin, has been released after being detained by authorities. The soldier had demanded a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

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safe and sound

Lunin initially posted the video on June 25, calling for a meeting with Putin to convey "the whole truth" about the situation in Russia and the ongoing war in Ukraine. The message, which quickly garnered nearly 11 million views in its first 24 hours, was deleted shortly after his release on Thursday. Lunin confirmed he is "safe and sound" but did not explain why the video was removed.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had previously commented on the video, describing its language as "rather strange." Lunin claimed in his message that he was approached by "high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Defense and security agencies" who decided to use him to convey a message to the Russian president.

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rather strange

In the viral recording, Lunin warned that if Putin did not meet him at the Kremlin, "the consequences would be very serious," and that "the army would turn its weapons against the Kremlin."

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if Vladimir Putin does not receive me at the Kremlin, the consequences will be very serious, and the army would turn its weapons against the Kremlin.