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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Rosaleen Fenton

High profile allies including actors, sports stars and politicians that have abandoned Putin

Thousands of Russians have fled Ukraine, while several high-profile previously supportive celebrities have turned their backs on Vladimir Putin.

Many oppose the war - while others have fled after the country fearing further sanctions after several global chains closed their doors.

Thousands have turned up in Turkey, as well as Finland, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

Now a senior government official has left Russia - the first one to do so, with speculation that others could follow.

The Kremlin confirmed this week that Anatoly Chubais has left the country.

"Chubais has resigned voluntarily. And it is up to him whether to leave or not," Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told the media.

Putin has previously dubbed those who have fled "scum and traitors" and claimed Russian society will "spit them out like a gnat".

But his harsh words are having little impact - with many high-profile Russians having already left, and others planning to do so.

Want all the latest news and analysis from Ukraine? Sign up to our World News Bulletin here

Tennis player Andrey Rublev spoke out against the war (USA TODAY Sports)

Politicians

Anatoly Chubais gave Putin his first Kremlin job but was spotted by a cash machine in Istanbul this week after fleeing Russia.

He worked as the president's climate envoy and previously belonged to former president Boris Yeltsin's administration in the 1990s.

He reportedly cited the ongoing war as the reason for his decision. He had previously posted photos of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov and liberal economist Yegor Gaidar.

They had both spoken out about the dangers of letting Mr Putin gain too much power by rolling back civil liberties before they died.

Russian climate envoy and aide to President Vladimir Putin Anatoly Chubais has fled (Getty Images)

Marine LePen

The French presidential candidate and far-right leader of the National Rally party has previously had a close relationship with Putin.

She previously claimed that Russia wouldn't invade and described it as "a misunderstanding of the issues and thinking."

But following the invasion, she declared there was “no reason to justify” the invasion of Ukraine, and dubbed it “unjustifiable without reservations."

Marine Le Pen, French National Front (REUTERS)

Matteo Salvini

The former Italian deputy prime minister and far-right League politician, Matteo Salvini was previously described as 'Putin’s man in Europe.'

But on social media, he condemned the military aggression and called for a "common response from allies," later sharing a video of him delivering flowers to the Ukrainian embassy in Rome.

Eric Zemmour

The far-right French pundit has previously said he admired Putin and dubbed him a 'patriot'. He also expressed concern about NATO's expansion.

But he then condemned the invasion, and called it “unjustifiable.”

Previously, the Czech Republic's president Miloš Zeman backtracked on his support for Putin, while Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Putin, also condemned it.

Celebs

Rapper Face

The Russian rapper has previously had his concerts cancelled by law enforcement, after speaking out in support of the opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The 24-year-old confirmed earlier this year that he has left the country - as he wrote on Instagram: "Our state has forced me and my loved ones to leave our house, our land."

Valery Meladze

The Russian singer “begged” Russia to stop the conflict in an emotional video.

A day after the war began, she said: "Today something happened that should have never happened. I beg you, please stop the war."

Svetlana Loboda

The Eurovision star added: “My heart is broken... Lord, stop all this! I’m just crying.”

Oxxxymiron

The rapper cancelled six sold-out shows in Moscow and St Petersburg, writing: "I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine."

Gerard Depardieu

They shared a close bond (RIA-NOVOSTI/AFP via Getty Images)

The French actor was once photographed embracing Putin after being awarded Russian citizenship.

But he described the war as "fratricidal" and urged the world leader to negotiate with Ukraine.

Ivan Urgent

The Russian TV star posted a black square on Instagram, and added: “Fear and pain. NO TO WAR".

Maxim Galkin

The husband of singer Alla Pugacheva - one of Russia’s most well-known faces, also bravely spoke out.

He said: “I can’t find the words to say what I feel! How can this be possible! There can be no justification for war! No to war!”

Athletes

Scores of Russian sports stars have come out in opposition to Putin's war, calling for an end to the conflict.

Andrey Rublev

He bravely scrawled the words 'No war please' on a camera lens following a match in Dubai.

Evgenia Medvedeva

The figure skater said she hoped 'this all ends as soon as possible, like a bad dream' on Instagram.

Alex Ovechkin

The NHL hockey player who has spoken fondly of Putin in the past, also called for the invasion to end.

He told reporters: "I have lots of friends in Russia and Ukraine and it's hard to see the war. I hope soon it's going to be over and there's going to be peace in the whole world.

Russian NHL star Alexander Ovechkin also called for 'no more war' (USA TODAY Sports)

"Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who's in the war, Russia, Ukraine, different countries. I think we live in a world, we have to live in peace."

Journalists

Marina Ovsyannikova
Brave journalist Marina Ovsyannikova made international headlines earlier this month when she burst into a live news broadcast on Channel One carrying a sign that read: “No war, stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they are lying to you here.”

Shortly before performing the stunt, she recorded a video in which she said: "I'm ashamed that I allowed myself to tell lies from the television screen. Ashamed that I allowed Russians to be turned into zombies.

"We just silently watched this inhumane regime."

Marina Ovsyannikova was fined for her protest on Russian TV (AFP via Getty Images)

After making headlines around the world, the journalist was arrested and many feared for her wellbeing.

When she re-emerged two days later, she claimed she had been questioned for 14 hours without legal aid and hadn’t slept while in custody.

She pleaded guilty to organising an unauthorised public event and was fined 30,000 roubles (£214).

Since her arrest, she has gone into hiding and has been offered asylum in countries including France, but the brave journalist has rejected the offers.

She told German publication Der Spiegel: “I don’t want to leave Russia. I am a patriot.”

Sofia Abramovich shared a message on Insta (Instagram)

Lilia Gildeyeva

In February, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, one of the country’s top TV anchors Lilia Gildeyeva quit her role at Gazprom-Media's NTV channel where she’d worked for 15 years.

The 45-year-old journalist said she fled the country before submitting her resignation letter.

She told blogger Ilya Varlamov: "At first I left, I was afraid they wouldn't let me go, then I wrote my resignation letter."

Before fleeing the country, the prominent journalist was the host of the network’s popular programme Segodnya - which means ‘Today’.

It has been reported she’s received abuse and several threats since making her escape from Russia.

Zhanna Agalakova

Award-winning Russian journalist Zhanna Agalakova told Reuters news agency she had quit her role in protest over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The former Channel One newsreader was working as the channel’s correspondent in Paris at the time of the invasion, said the sole reason she quit her job was the invasion.

She said at a press conference: "When I spoke to my bosses, I said I cannot do this work anymore."

She added she thought Russian state media was being used to peddle Kremlin propaganda, and that a free press had been stifled in the country for years.

Others

Arkady Dvorkovich

Arkady Dvorkovich at a FIFA match in 2018 (Mikhail Japaridze/TASS)

The president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), has criticised the war.

He worked as the deputy prime minister to Dmitry Medvedev who has served as president during Mr Putin's rise to power.

The 49-year-old slammed the invasion in an interview with a magazine.

He told Mother Jones: "Wars are the worst things one might face in life. Any war. Anywhere. Wars do not just kill priceless lives.

"Wars kill hopes and aspirations, freeze or destroy relationships and connections. Including this war."

Yan Nepomniachtchi

The world number five chess player from Russia also shared a 'say no to war' message.

On the day of Russia's invasion, he tweeted: “History has seen many Black Thursdays. But today is blacker than the others. #saynotowar.”

Sofia Abramovich

Roman Abramovich's daughter posted an Instagram picture that read "Russia wants a war with Ukraine" with "Russia" replaced by "Putin", adding: "The biggest and most successful lie of Kremlin's propaganda is that most Russians stand with Putin."

Liza Peskova

The daughter of the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov posted on Instagram a simple message on a black background that read "No to war"

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