Russian Oligarch Doubles Down on Putin Criticism Despite Fears for His Life

Oleg Tinkov, a Russian oligarch who has become a vocal critic of the Russia-Ukraine war, doubled down on his condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday despite fearing for his life.

Tinkov, the 54-year-old billionaire who founded Tinkoff Bank in 2006, has emerged as one of the leading oligarchs speaking out against the war, blasting Putin in a series of Instagram posts throughout the past few weeks. Tinkov has hired bodyguards out of concerns speaking out could cost him his life, he told The New York Times over the weekend.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Tinkov, who is currently receiving treatment for cancer, continued his criticism of Putin's invasion, calling it a "pity" that Russia has "slipped into archaism, paternalism and servility."

"And the threats to me personally, to a person who is struggling with the most severe blood cancer, leukemia, the desire to punish just for OPINION, my honest opinion, speaks of the final dehumanization of the regime," he wrote in the translated post.

He continued that he wants to take his brands out of Russia because he doesn't want to "moralize them with the blood of Russian soldiers and residents of Ukraine!"

"Ukraine will win because good always wins over evil, we were taught that at school!" he wrote.

The renewed criticism came just days after he told the Times he hired bodyguards over fears relayed to him from friends with contacts in the Russian security services, adding there are concerns "the Kremlin will kill me."

At the end of April, Tinkov, who has sought to play a balancing act of distancing himself from the Kremlin while still thriving in the Russian economy, sold 35 percent of his shares of TCS Group Holding.

He told the Times that the "desperate sale" was forced by Putin following another Instagram post where he denounced the "crazy war" that began at the end of February when Putin ordered the invasion, claiming he was aiming to liberate the eastern Donbas region.

"I don't see ANY beneficiary of this crazy war! Innocent people and soldiers are dying," he wrote. "How will the army be good, if everything else in the country is s*** and mired in [nepotism] and servility?"

The war has been met with international condemnation, with many world leaders backing Ukraine and sending them military aid. Many countries and leaders have specifically raised concerns about alleged human rights abuses in Ukraine, including attacks on civilians.

Many western countries have also issued widespread sanctions on Russian oligarchs, including Tinkov, in hopes to pressure Putin into ending the invasion.

Other oligarchs, including Roman Abramovich, Oleg Deripaska and Mikhail Fridman have also spoken out against the war as it approaches its third month.