“Now we see that only armed people can resist the dictatorship,” Khodorkovsky wrote on his Telegram channel. “Now there is a small window of opportunity when there is chaos on the streets and the security forces are not in control of the situation.”

He said the dramatic standoff would likely result in further repression.

“If you see the strength in yourself in the future to become those armed people who will oppose Putin or Prigozhin, then it’s time to arm yourself,” he said. “Prigozhin is not our friend and not even our ally. He is a bandit and a war criminal. But his rebellion is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and there won’t be another like it for a long time.”