Former Putin adviser Anatoly Chubais reported to be in European hospital for neurological disorder

Anatoly Chubais, who resigned as a high-ranking adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin and left Russia shortly after the invasion of Ukraine, was reported to be in intensive care in a European hospital on Sunday for a neurological disorder.

Ksenia Sobchak, a Russian television personality and family friend of Chubais, said on Telegram that she had spoken with his wife, Avdotya, and that he was suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome.

She did not say which clinic he was in.

Guillain-Barre is a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves.

Sobchak said Chubais' condition was "unstable", but she quoted him as saying it was "moderate, stable".

Although Chubais did not state his reason for resigning in March, it was presumed to be because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

His was the highest level of a series of official resignations.

Chubais had most recently been Putin’s envoy to international organisations on sustainable development.

He is well known in Russia, having held high-profile posts since the early 1990s, when he oversaw privatisation efforts under Boris Yeltsin.