Exiled Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky said Russian President Vladimir Putin could face massive political backlash if he continued to send large numbers of troops from major Russian cities to fight in Ukraine. During an interview with the Atlantic Council, Khodorkovsky wondered if Putin would send new waves of troops to Ukraine, as NATO estimated that 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers had been killed in the war so far. He said the scenario was possible and that “the value of human life in Russia is not as high as one would like to see it.” “Especially when we talk about people living in the North Caucasus or people living in tiny villages and settlements,” Khodorkovsky said. “Knowing this, Putin takes his soldiers especially from those places. And he pays such money for their deaths, forcing their close relatives to keep their mouths shut.” On March 9, after weeks of denial, the Russian government acknowledged that it had sent new conscripts to Ukraine. Khodorkovsky was asked about the possibility of Putin sending another 100,000 to 200,000 troops to Ukraine, which he said would be an “extremely serious” political decision for the Russian president. “Without a doubt, such a move, if Putin is forced to do so, would be politically extremely difficult for him. And even more, it could invite a million people, but then the big cities will end up in coffins,” he said. Khodorkovsky: “Big cities where public opinion is completely different in terms of the value of human life, and for Putin it would be a huge problem on the eve of the transfer of power in 2024.” Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon living in Russia, was jailed by the Putin government in 2003 on charges of financial crimes. During his nine years in prison, he claimed to have been imprisoned for political reasons. Since his release in 2013, Khodorkovsky has been an active member of Russia’s exiled opposition. In the interview, he reiterated his belief that Putin believes he is “at war with the United States and NATO.” In March, the United Nations said at least 1,119 civilians had been killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine. NATO has estimated that between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during the war, while Russia has claimed that 1,351 of its soldiers have been killed. In his latest report on the deaths of soldiers on March 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 1,300 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war.
