A sanctioned Russian oligarch has blasted his own country’s “massacre” of Ukraine during Putin’s “crazy war”.
Oleg Tinkov slammed Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine in an Instagram post.
Mr Tinkov is one of his country’s most well-known entrepreneurs and also one of Russia ’s most high-profile critics of Putin.
He lambasted the war even after he was sanctioned by the UK government for having close relations with the Russian president.
This is despite previously denying having any close relationship with Putin or the Kremlin.
In his Instagram post, Mr Tinkov said the majority of Russians were against the war.
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He said: “I do not see one beneficiary of this insane war! Innocent people and soldiers dying.
“The generals woke up from a hangover realised that they had a s***** army.
“And how will the army be good if everything else in the country is s*** and dirty in nepotism, sycophancy, and servility?
“Kremlin officials are shocked that not only they, but also their children will not go to the Mediterranean in the summer.
“Businessmen are trying to salvage what remains of property … of course there are morons drawing Z, but morons in any country are 10%.
“90% of Russians are against this war! Dear ‘collective west’ please give Mr Putin a clear exit to save his face and stop this massacre.
“Please be more rational and humanitarian.”
Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Mr Tinkov’s wealth was estimated to be more than £3.4billion.
However, since then he has lost his status as a billionaire as shares in his bank have plummeted, Forbes reported last month,
Mr Tinkov stepped down as chair of Tinkoff Bank in 2020 and he is not currently in Russia.
The entrepreneur owns about 35 per cent of Cyprus-based TCS Group Holding, whose stable of companies from banking and insurance to mobile services.
The BBC reported the Mr Tinkov had been described as a “serial entrepreneur”.
His career has seen him go from bike racing, to importing electronics, flogging frozen food, brewing beer, issuing credit cards and then finally back to bike racing as the owner of his own cycling team.
Mr Tinkov is not the only oligarch to speak out against Putin’s war.
Prominent oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska have separately made calls for peace but stopped short of directly criticising Putin.
Mr Fridman, a billionaire banker, said any personal remarks could put colleagues at risk as well as himself.
However, Russian businessman Boris Mints, who once worked for the Moscow government in the 90s, has directly criticised President Putin.
Mr Mints, who lives in the UK, is currently facing legal action by the Kremlin.
He told the BBC "every right-thinking person has a duty to speak out against this appalling war and Vladimir Putin's growing authoritarianism".
"All of us must do what we can to support Ukrainians suffering from this vicious onslaught, whether in Ukraine or as refugees beyond its borders," he added.
