Russian blogger’s fierce critique of Kremlin goes viral: ‘People are afraid of you’

Victoria Bonya says authorities too scared to raise issues with Vladimir Putin, whose approval ratings are declining

The Kremlin is grappling with the fallout from the viral spread of a celebrity blogger’s criticism of Russian authorities, as Vladimir Putin’s approval ratings register their sixth consecutive weekly decline.

Victoria Bonya, a household name in Russia who rose to fame in 2006 on Dom-2, the country’s answer to the reality TV show Big Brother, posted a video on Monday warning the Russian president that a string of mounting problems risked spiralling out of control.