Russia: Putin's 'favourite industrialist' questions invasion, laments economic fallouts

Aluminium magnate and Vlimir Putin’s "favourite industrialist" Oleg Deripaska said that it would be a “colossal mistake” for Russian troops to destroy Ukraine. rare rebuke came as he dressed a press conference in Moscow wherein he repeated words ‘colossal mistake’ several times. It has been 126 days since Kremlin launched its military assault on Ukraine and many of Putin’s critics have been mysteriously killed since n. 

"Is it in Russia's interest to destroy Ukraine? Of course not, that would be a colossal mistake," he told a rare press conference in Russian capital.

Russian oligarch also used word ‘war’ to represent ongoing offensive in Ukraine. Here, it is pertinent to note that term is banned nationwide with people only allowed to call it ‘Special Military Operation’. Talking about war in Ukraine, Deripaska also asserted that re will be no winner at end of conflict. Deripaska’s comments come on same day as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated  only path to war ending is Ukraine’s full surrender. 

Deripaska laments economic repercussions 

entrepreneur also lamented economic impact of invasion and subsequent sanctions by west, which he said have rolled back progress me by international business partnerships. "I'm troubled by how quickly we abandoned everything that was achieved (economically) in '90s, n we abandoned everything that we achieved in 2000s, and now we are sitting and waiting for victory. Victory of what? Whose victory?" Deripaska said to a group of reporters in Moscow.

It has been over four months since Vlimir Putin ordered his so-called ‘Special Military Operation’ on Ukraine, underscoring that erstwhile Soviet state and its western neighbour jeopardised his country's security. On Tuesday, leers of seven most powerful countries in world concluded ir annual summit wherein y discussed on bolstering sanctions on Russia, in a desperate move to slow down Putin’s war machine. While talks were still ongoing, Russian missiles hit a crowded shopping mall in Ukrainian capital Kyiv. At least, 20 have been killed, while anor 21 dozen are still missing, according to Guardian. 

(Image: AP/Mousyfu/Twitter)