The granddaughter of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, Maria Yumasheva. Photo / via Instagram
The granddaughter of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, Maria Yumasheva. Photo / via Instagram
As countries around the world continue to crack down on Russia's richest men, their children have broken ranks to speak out against Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
A string of young Russian "influencers" with powerful parents have used their social media platforms to condemn the war, which has seen hundreds of Ukrainians killed and more than a million displaced.
Among them is the granddaughter of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, Maria Yumasheva. The 19-year-old is also the daughter of Putin's trusted adviser, billionaire Valentin Yumashev.
But his daughter posted a video to her Instagram stories showing her in attendance of an anti-war rally in London. She also posted an image of the Ukrainian flag with the caption "no to war". The slogan is the main chant being used by Russian protesters opposing the invasion of Ukraine.
Her 32-year-old fiance, Russian footballer Fedor Smolov, joined his bride-to-be in criticising Putin's actions.
He similarly posted a black square with "no to war!!!" on his Instagram account, making him one of Russia's first national team players to speak out.
Yumasheva is not the only child seemingly at odds with their high-profile parents. Elizaveta Peskova, the 24-year-old daughter of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, posted an Instagram story with the caption "No to war!" against a black background.
She removed the post less than an hour later without explanation.
Her father is one of the Russian oligarchs currently sanctioned by the US and the most prominent spokesman working for the Kremlin.
A firm supporter of the invasion, he also defended the arrests of thousands of Russian protesters who have rallied against the government.
His daughter's rebellious post is likely to cause him huge embarrassment.
Another Russian rich kid defying Putin is Sofia Abramovich, daughter of Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.
The 26-year-old, who spends much of her time in London, spoke out against the Kremlin in an Instagram post last week.
"Putin wants a war with Ukraine. The biggest and most successful lie of Kremlin's propaganda is that most Russians stand with Putin."
Her billionaire father has not been named on a growing British sanctions list targeting Russian banks, businesses and pro-Kremlin tycoons following Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
But the 55-year-old's concern about potential seizure of assets is understood to have sparked his move to put Chelsea FC up for sale, a decision announced on Thursday.
TV host and journalist Ksenia Sobchak is the daughter of the first democratically elected mayor of Saint Petersburg. Photo / Getty Images
One of the loudest protesters is socialite, TV personality and former Russian presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak.
Sobchak has been a constant voice against the invasion on social media.
In her latest post she wrote: "The world is on the verge of disaster. I remember writing a letter to Reagan in 1988 [saying] Dear Mr President we do not want war because I was scared to death of nuclear war … Now I'm an adult, but the fear is the same … Global geopolitical interests cannot be more important than the simple peaceful life of millions of people."
Sobchak has reportedly been forced to flee Russia and currently lives in Turkey with her son.
Despite the online protest of these young Russian elite, there are plenty more who have continued to live their lavish lives without mention of the hundreds dying in Ukraine.
The popular Instagram account "Rich Russian Kids", which details the excessive lifestyles of the young Russian elite, has come under fire with countless comments from followers protesting against the war and calling for the page to be banned.
The tone-deaf posts show rich young Russians lounging on yachts, sipping cocktails on private jets and driving luxury cars.
