Flamboyant Russian entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov tears up his Russian passport and denounces 'fascism' under President Putin.

The founder of the online Tinkoff Bank, one of the largest Russian banks with about 20 million customers, is lashing out at the Kremlin regime on Instagram.

“I can no longer and do not want to be associated with a fascist country that starts a war against a peaceful neighbor,” said Tinkov, who, unlike many other rich Russians, dares to take a public position against Putin. He previously called the Russian armed forces a 'shit army'.

An independent Russian news outlet tweeted a certificate confirming that Tinkov is no longer Russian, according to the BBC. Sota Vision also posted Tinkov's statement on Instagram on social media. However, the statement now appears to have been removed from Tinkov's account.

According to the BBC, Tinkov is currently living in London. Like many wealthy Russians, he would be hit hard by sanctions. “I hope that more prominent Russians follow my example, so that Putin's regime weakens and he eventually falls. I hate Putin's Russia, but I love all the Russians who turn against this foolish war."