Putin says Anatoly Chubais has fled, and that ‘he’s no longer Anatoly Borisovich, but some Moisha Israelievich’
Russian president Vladimir Putin, speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, commented on Anatoly Chubais’s departure from Russia.
The fact that Anatoly Borisovich is hiding there for some reason… I was shown some photo from the Internet, where he is no longer Anatoly Borisovich Chubais, but some Moisha Israelievich, who lives there. Why is he doing this? He ran away (quote from RBC).
Israeli media reported in May 2023 that Chubais and his wife Avdotya Smirnova had allegedly requested Israeli documents. Chubais has denied this.
Anatoly Chubais head headed the Rosnano corporation until December 2020, then worked as special representative of the Russian president for relations with international organizations. Shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, in March 2022, Chubais resigned and left Russia.
In the 1990s, Chubais was an influential member of the Yeltsin government, holding the position of Chief of the Presidential Administration in 1996-7. Chubais also played a leading role in privatization in Russia.