Putin Loses Another Close Ally as Russia Closes in on 100 Days in Ukraine

Valentin Yumashev, the son-in-law of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, has left his position as a Kremlin adviser, according to a Monday report by Reuters.

The media outlet cited two people close to the situation as saying Yumashev, described as a key element to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rise to power, quit his role in April. He is the latest of several prominent Russian officials to resign since Putin launched his war on Ukraine that will hit the 100-day mark Friday.

Reuters noted Yumashev worked in an unpaid capacity and had only "limited influence on Putin's decision-making," but his name recognition, past influence and connection to Yeltsin make his resignation a high-profile loss to the Kremlin.

Lyudmila Telen, who works as first deputy executive director of the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center—where Yumashev serves as a member of the board of trustees—reportedly said he left his position last month. She also indicated it was Yumashev's own decision to leave.

Another person said to be knowledgeable of the situation spoke with Reuters on the condition of anonymity. That source also said Yumashev stepped down from his role as a presidential adviser in April.

No explanation has been given for Yumashev's departure, but his daughter posted an anti-war message with a Ukrainian flag on Instagram on February 24—the day Putin's forces began attacks in Ukraine.

Yumashev is married to Yeltsin's younger daughter, Tatyana, and was once an aide to his since-deceased father-in-law. The BBC reported that Yumashev, while serving as Yeltsin's chief of staff, gave Putin his first job in the Kremlin in 1997. He was said to have later recommended to Yelstin that Putin become his successor.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, other top Russian officials have stepped down from their posts. One of the most powerful was Anatoly Chubais, a longtime government official who acted as Putin's envoy to international organizations concerned about sustainable development, according to the Associated Press. Like Yumashev, Chubais was once a top aide to Yeltsin.

On May 23, Boris Bondarev, Russia's diplomat to the United Nations, announced his resignation over the nation's invasion of Ukraine. In a letter sent to other diplomats, Bondarev wrote that he has "never been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year."

Arkady Dvorkovich, a former Russian deputy prime minister, quit his role as chairman of the Skolkovo Foundation—a top state-sponsored science organization—after the war began, the AP reported.

Additionally, Zhanna Agalakova and Lila Gildeyeva both gave up their jobs as anchors on Russian state-run TV channels over the invasion. And Elena Kovalskaya, who worked as the director of a state-run theater located in Moscow, also resigned out of protest, according to Business Insider.

Newsweek reached out to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov for comment.