Russian billionaire Oleg Tinkov renounces citizenship over Ukraine invasion

Tinkov and Revolut founder Nikolay Storonsky gave up their citizenship on Monday

Former Russian business tycoon Oleg Tinkov. Reuters

Oleg Tinkov has renounced his Russian citizenship after becoming one of the country's first billionaires to speak out against the invasion of Ukraine.

“I have taken the decision to exit my Russian citizenship,” Mr Tinkov said on Monday on his Instagram account.

He said he did not want to be associated with a country “that started a war with their peaceful neighbour and killing innocent people daily. It is a shame for me to continue to hold this passport".

In April, Mr Tinkov, 54 published on his Instagram account an expletive-filled post about Russia’s “insane war”.

A week later, after Tinkoff Bank’s co-chief executives quit and the bank distanced itself from its founder, and announced plans to drop his name from the brand, he sold his family’s stake to Vladimir Potanin for an undisclosed amount.

Oligarchs sanctioned by the UK - in pictures

The UK has sanctioned more than 1,400 individuals and businesses, including 100 oligarchs and their relatives, since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The list of oligarchs includes: Roman Abramovich, 55. PA

Katerina Tikhonova, left, and Maria Vorontsova, unseen, also known as Maria Putina, daughters of Russia President Vladimir Putin. Reuters

Oleg Deripaska, 54. The industrialist is worth £2 billion and has had close links with the British political establishment. He has a multimillion pound property portfolio in the UK. Reuters

Igor Sechin, 61. Officials described Mr Sechin as Mr Putin's right-hand man and the second most important person in the country. Reuters

Andrey Kostin, 65. The chairman of VTB, a Russian state-owned bank. Mr Kostin is also a member of the supreme council of the United Russia political party and deemed a close associate of Mr Putin. AP Photo

Alexei Miller, 60. The chief executive of energy company Gazprom, Russia's largest company and the world's biggest public energy supplier. AFP

Nikolai Tokarev, 71, president of the Russia state-owned pipeline company Transneft. Mr Tokarev is a former KGB officer who served with Mr Putin in East Germany towards the end of the Cold War. AP Photo

Kirill Shamalov, 39. He is Russia's youngest billionaire and the ex-husband of Mr Putin's daughter Katerina Tikhonova. Reuters

Pyotr Fradkov, 43. He is head of the sanctioned Promsvyazbank, which finances Russian defence industries, and the son of Mikhail Fradkov, a former prime minister of Russia and chief of its foreign intelligence service. Reuters

Denis Bortnikov, 47. The deputy president of government-affiliated VTB bank. His father, Alexander Bortnikov, is head of the Federal Security Service. Getty Images

Yury Slyusar, 47. The director of United Aircraft Corporation, one of the major defence organisations that has also been sanctioned. Getty Images

Mr Tinkov, who had sanctions imposed by the UK in March, said he hoped more Russian tycoons would renounce their citizenship “so it weakens [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s regime and his economy, and put him eventually to defeat".

“I hate Putin’s Russia, but love all Russians who are clearly against this crazy war,” he wrote on Monday.

Superyachts of Russian oligarchs - in pictures

A judge in Fiji has ruled that US authorities can seize the Russian-owned superyacht Amadea. Fiji Sun / AP

Fijian authorities on April 19 applied to block a superyacht reportedly owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov from leaving its waters, as the US moved to seize it. Fiji Sun / AP

The superyacht Amadea, reportedly owned by Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov. Fiji Sun / AFP

Solaris, a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, is pictured in Yalikavak, southwest Turkey. Reuters

Germany has officially confiscated the world's largest superyacht, the 'Dilbar', owned by Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, as part of sanctions against Moscow following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. AFP

The Dilbar, covered with plastic sheets, is docked in a shipyard of Blohm & Voss in the harbour of Hamburg, Germany. AFP

The Flying Fox superyacht is seen docked at Don Diego Port in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, which is linked to Russian oligarch Dmitry Kamenshchik. Getty Images

The Flying Fox superyacht. Getty Images

The Flying Fox superyacht. Getty Images

MySky superyacht owned by Russia's Igor Kesaev is seen in the waters of the Indian Ocean near Male, Maldives. Reuters

Titan superyacht owned by Russia's Alexander Abramov is seen in the waters of the Indian Ocean near Male, Maldives. Reuters

Spanish Civil Guards stand by the Tango superyacht, belonging to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, which was seized on behalf of US authorities. Photo: Juan Poyates Oliver / Reuters

Solaris, a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, is pictured in Bodrum, southwest Turkey. Reuters

The superyacht Nord, reportedly owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov, is docked in the far eastern port of Vladivostok, Russia. Reuters

The superyacht Nord, reportedly owned by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov. Reuters

Britain on Tuesday detained a Russian-owned, $50-million superyacht boasting a fresh-water swimming pool, in what it called a "warning" to Moscow of the consequences for invading Ukraine. AFP

The impounding of Phi, the first superyacht ever to be held in British waters, comes after the UK sanctioned hundreds of Russian individuals and entities in recent weeks over the Kremlin's war. AFP

The PHI superyacht, detained by a unit of Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA). AFP

Solaris, a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, docks at a marina in Bodrum, in southwest Turkey. Ihlas News Agency / Reuters

Eclipse, a superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich. Reuters

The superyacht 'Scheherazade', which has been linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is moored in the port at Marina di Carrara on March 23, 2022 in Carrara, Italy. Getty Images

The yacht 'Scheherazade', which is about 140 metres long and worth over 700 million dollars, is moored at the 'The Italian Sea Group' shipyard. Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested the seizure of the superyacht Scheherazade in a speech to the Italian Parliament. Getty Images

The superyacht Amadea. Fiji Sun / AFP

Mr Storonsky, 38, the co-founder and chief executive of London FinTech start-up Revolut., also renounced his Russian citizenship, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

He is worth $6.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

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