Russian author Akunin: Putin sees Ukraine as a threat to his rule

Russian author Boris Akunin has long criticised Putin, initially distrusting him as a former KGB spy [File: Reuters]

Russian author Boris Akunin is among several celebrities and cultural figures to have spoken out against the war in Ukraine.

Of Georgian and Jewish descent, Akunin, whose real name is Grigory Chkhartishvili, is best known for his series of historical mystery novels centred around Erast Fandorin, a 19th-century Russian detective.