This is the richest Russian businessman who challenges Putin 0:56
London/Paris (CNN Business) --
Oleg Tinkov, the billionaire founder of a large Russian digital bank, has lashed out at Russia's "insane war" in Ukraine and urged the West to help President Vladimir Putin find a way out to "stop this massacre."
Russia's brutal assault on its neighbor began almost two months ago.
Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed and injured, and millions have fled the country, according to UN agencies.
The Russian businessman, who founded the Tinkoff bank in 2006, said in an Instagram post on Tuesday that 90% of Russians were against the war and that Kremlin officials were shocked that they could no longer vacation in the Mediterranean.
"I don't see a single person benefiting from this insane war," he wrote.
Tinkov is among 65 people and entities sanctioned by the UK on March 24 for "supporting the illegal invasion of Russia."
He owns 35% of Tinkoff Bank's parent company, TCS Group, and is worth an estimated US$3.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
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Western sanctions have frozen Russia's reserves worth some $300 billion and plunged the economy into a deep recession.
Dozens of international companies have left the country, and the European Union has closed its airspace to Russian airlines and planes.
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"Kremlin officials are shocked that not only they, but also their children, will not go to the Mediterranean this summer. Businessmen are trying to save what is left of their property," he wrote.
Referring to the mysterious symbol painted on Russian tanks, which has become a sign of popular support for the war in Russia, Tinkov said there were "idiots who write the letter Z, but there are 10% idiots in every country. 90% of Russians are against this war."
Switching to English at the end of his post, he called on the West to "give Mr Putin a clear way out to save face and stop this massacre."
"Please be more rational and humane," he added.
Tinkov's call for peace follows similar calls by other Russian business leaders.
The Russian oil company Lukoil called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Oleg Deripaska spoke out against the conflict in late February, following the Russian invasion.
Fridman, who was born in western Ukraine, wrote in a letter to staff that he wanted the "bloodshed to end."
Deripaska said in a post on Telegram: "Peace is very important! Negotiations must start as soon as possible."
And two weeks ago, the president of the Russian metallurgical company Rusal called for an impartial investigation into the killing of civilians in Bucha during the occupation of the city by Russian forces.
War in Ukraine Vladimir Putin