A veteran Kremlin aide has fled Russia after quitting in protest at the war in Ukraine, it has been reported.
Anatoly Chubais, 66, a special envoy to international organisations, is the first senior official to step down since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion a month ago.
Chubais was said to have given his opposition to the conflict as the reason, but he has not spoken publicly of his decision and hung up the phone when contacted by the Reuters news agency.
He was one of the principal architects of Boris Yeltsin’s economic reforms of the 1990s and was Putin’s boss in the future president’s first Kremlin job.
Chubais later ran big state businesses under Putin and held political jobs, lately serving as Kremlin special envoy to international organisations.
One Western official said the resignation is encouraging, but unlikely to shake Putin’s firm grip on power.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they described it as a ‘significant statement’ but added he was ‘relatively high up on the list’ of people who might take such a step.
They went on: ‘I think it’s encouraging that there are senior members of the Russian political class that are doing such things, but it doesn’t lead me to a conclusion that this is in any way undermining the security of Putin and his regime, given the iron grip that he holds together with those at the centre of his power.
‘But nonetheless, I think it is an encouraging statement that such a figure would make this move.’
The Kremlin has ramped up the pressure on domestic critics of the war, with Putin speaking last week of the need to ‘cleanse’ the country of ‘scum and traitors’.
He said: ‘Any people, and especially the Russian people, will always be able to tell the patriots from the scum and traitors and spit them out like a midge that accidentally flew into their mouths.
‘I am convinced that this natural and necessary self-cleansing of society will only strengthen our country, our solidarity, cohesion and readiness to meet any challenge.’
Russia-Ukraine war: Everything you need to know
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, the country has suffered widespread damages and loss of life amid a major bombing campaign.
Aid workers have warned that the worst hit areas could run out of food and medicine by Friday.
Millions of people have fled the country, with thousands of British people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees.
Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't shown any signs of calling off the attack anytime soon, with his spokesperson claiming that he is refusing to rule out using nuclear weapons.
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Although the invasion force has stalled in some areas and fierce Ukrainian resistance has thwarted its hopes for a swift victory, Russian artillery and air strikes maintained their bombardments on several cities, while civilians who have been unable or unwilling to flee sheltered underground.
US President Joe Biden was flying to Europe for an emergency summit on Ukraine with Nato and European leaders at the Western military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels on Thursday.
The leaders are expected to roll out additional sanctions against Russia.
They would also agree to bolster forces on the alliance’s eastern flank, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference ahead of the summit.
However, he said Nato would not send troops into Ukraine, adding: ‘It is extremely important to provide support to Ukraine and we are stepping up.
‘But at the same time it is also extremely important to prevent this conflict becoming a full-fledged war between Nato and Russia.’
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