ARCHIV - 06.10.2009, Russland, Moskau: Anatoli Tschubais, damaliger Leiter der staatlichen russischen Beteiligungsgesellschaft Rusnano, während eines Nanotechnologie-Forums in Moskau. Der nach Beginn des Ukraine-Kriegs zurückgetretene prominente Kreml-Beamte wird laut Medienberichten mit schweren gesundheitlichen Problemen in Europa in einem Krankenhaus behandelt. «Das ist natürlich eine traurige Nachricht, wir wünschen ihm baldige Genesung», sagte Kremlsprecher Peskow am Montag der Agentur Interfax zufolge in Moskau. Angaben der italienischen Tageszeitung «La Repubblica» zufolge wird Tschubais in einer Klinik auf der Mittelmeerinsel Sardinien behandelt, wo er zuvor Urlaub gemacht haben soll. Foto: epa Mikhail Metzel Pool/epa/dpa +++ dpa-Bildfunk +++

According to media reports, the prominent Kremlin official Anatoly Chubais, who resigned after the start of the Ukraine war, is being treated in a hospital in Europe with serious health problems. “This is of course sad news, we wish him a speedy recovery,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday, according to the Interfax agency in Moscow.

According to the Italian daily La Repubblica, Chubais is being treated in a clinic on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, where he is said to have vacationed before.

On Sunday, the prominent Russian moderator and former presidential candidate Xenia Sobchak, citing Chubais’ family, wrote that the 67-year-old had been taken to an intensive care unit in an “unstable condition”.

“He got sick. His arms and legs suddenly became paralyzed.” According to Sobchak, the room where Chubais was last was examined by “specialists in protective chemical suits”.

In view of these descriptions, speculation erupted in social networks as to whether the former confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin might have been poisoned.

The “Repubblica” also wrote that a suspected poisoning was being investigated. A possible cause of Tschubais’ malaise could also be a rare nervous disease, it said. (dpa)