Prominent Russian nationalist who insulted Putin jailed for four years

Russian prominent nationalist, former military commander and Kremlin critic Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, who is charged with inciting extremist activity, sits behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, January 25, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Prominent Russian nationalist Igor Girkin, who accuses President Vladimir Putin and the army top brass of not pursuing the Ukraine war effectively enough, was convicted by a Moscow court on Thursday of inciting extremism and jailed for four years.

Girkin, who denied the charge, had publicly entertained ideas about running against Putin in a March presidential election, saying he could do a better job than Russia's veteran leader.