Kremlin does not forgive criticism: Blogger targeted by state television

A well-known blogger, whose harsh criticism of the authorities is followed by tens of millions of Russians, has hit back after one of the most famous political presenters on state television accused her of working for the West and called for an investigation against her.

Vladimir Solovyov, a fiery talk show host sanctioned by the West for his vocal support for the war in Ukraine, launched a fierce attack on Victoria Bonya on a live program over the weekend, combining personal insults about her appearance with accusations that she is part of a secret Western plan to undermine the Kremlin.

Bonya, who lives in Monaco and denies working for anyone but herself, called Solovyov an "enemy of the people" and said he should be removed from the program. She said he was one of several state television presenters who spoke about women in an unacceptable manner, according to Reuters.

"I want to ask all women a question - at what point did the insulting of women on national television begin?" said Bonja, a 46-year-old single mother, adding that she is fed up with women like her being publicly presented as prostitutes or escort ladies.

"There are many mothers who raise children alone. By insulting me, you insult all of them," said Bonya, noting that her page has had almost 500 million visits and that her influence on social media is greater than Solovyov's.

Bonya, known in Russia as a former reality TV star, has mostly stuck to videos about her own life and beauty tips, amassing more than 13 million followers on Instagram.

However, she caused a political storm with a video address to President Vladimir Putin in which she said that she supported him, but that he was not being told the truth about the real problems in Russia and that ordinary people were being pressured so much by corrupt officials that they might one day rebel.

The Kremlin has taken the unusual step of addressing Bonya's criticism, whose video has since been viewed nearly 30 million times, by claiming that the problems she cited, including widespread internet repression, are being addressed. At the same time, they have denied that Putin is not receiving bad news.

Foreign agent?

Solovyov asked on the live program why Bonya had not yet been declared a "foreign agent," a label with negative Soviet connotations of espionage, and asked Russia's chief state investigator to check whether her speech violated any law.

"It's not up to this shabby whore to open her filthy mouth and pollute the information space," Solovyov said.

Bonja hit back, saying that she would try to remove him from the program through petitions and possible lawsuits.

Trying to turn things around in her favor, she also asked the authorities to check whether the language he sometimes uses in his shows about various people and groups is in violation of Russian law.

In a new humorous video, created with the help of artificial intelligence and viewed 10 million times in just 24 hours, Bonya is shown dressed as Spider-Man, shooting a web in Solovyov's face and clashing with two other prominent public figures whom she accuses of misogyny.

On the streets of Moscow, passersby interviewed by Reuters were mostly sympathetic to Bonya. Nadezhda, the manager, said she believed that every Russian, even if they are outside Russia, has the right to speak about their country.

"I didn't like the way they started insulting her," she said. "It just seems completely wrong coming from people who have some influence in society."