Kremlin Flabbergasted by Putin Adviser Who Fled Russia

The Russian government is reportedly beside itself after the former chairman and CEO of Rusnano, Anatoly Chubais, a champion of privatization in the post-Soviet era, fled the country despite no Western sanctions, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Chubais also resigned from his position as Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for sustainable development, according to the outlet. He was last seen in Istanbul, a site quickly becoming a hotspot for fleeing oligarchs after Turkey refused to join EU sanctions.

Russian political analyst Ilya Grashchenkov told the Moscow Gazette on Friday that the reason for Chubais' departure was probably the result of a multitude of factors.

Grashchenkov said the oligarch's role as the special envoy for sustainable development "was highly connected to the relations of Western elites." After the total economic war on Russia began, Chubais' position became a liability for both parties, he theorized.

"Now is the time for Chubais to leave; if he stays, he will be part of the current system in the eyes of the West and the opposition," Grashchenkov said. "Chubais openly opposes the Kremlin. He is an open opponent of the special operation [in Ukraine] and Putin's politicians — plus, he can conduct some political activities in the West."

Others see the departure as almost entirely politically motivated, signaling Chubais may be in danger of Kremlin retaliation.

Andrei Kolesnikov, a political scientist at the Carnegie Moscow Center, compared the Russian elite to a submarine during an appearance on a Russian syndicated broadcast on Wednesday.

"The Russian elites are now a submarine from which it is terrifying to step out." He said. "It is very difficult to emerge.

"For rich people, bound by a large amount of information that is inaccessible to us, it is almost impossible to leave this submarine."

Kolesnikov compared Chubais' exit to former Russian adviser to the World Bank Boris Lvin earlier this month.

"There was also a man who left the World Bank staff — Boris Lvin, a man of liberal and libertarian convictions," Kolesnikov said. "All these people are economists and liberals, such a combination of circumstances. All the rest sit in their seats and respect their leader."

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