Two top Russian billionaires speak out against war

Oleg Deripaska (l) and Mikhail Fridman. The businessmen join a small number of prominent Russians who have spoken publicly of their opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. Composite: Mikhail Japaridze/TASS/Getty/EPA

Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska have become two of the country’s first leading businesspeople to speak out against Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Fridman, who is one of Russia’s richest men, controls private equity firm LetterOne and was a founder of Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest private bank. In a letter to his employees he called for an end to the “bloodshed”.