Mikhail Khodorkovsky was once ranked as Russia's richest man. He was one of those who became extremely rich after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In the 2000s, however, Khodorkovsky's political commitment grew, putting him on a collision course with President Vladimir Putin.
In 2003, he was imprisoned and would not be pardoned until 2023. Now he is working from his exile to support resistance against Putin.
Ex-oligarch: You may have to cooperate with criminals
But what could really break Putin's stranglehold on Russian power? According to the liberal Putin enemy Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was imprisoned for ten years, the answer is an internal split in the Russian power apparatus. A division that, according to him, must be fomented – even if it means that they side with internationally designated war criminals such as the Wagner Group.
Watch SVT's exclusive interview with the ex-oligarch in the video above.