Mr Pugachev has written to Hogan Lovells, who act for the DIA, Russia's state deposit agency, the organisation which is purusing him. He tells the firm that his finances have been 'seriously undermined' by the legal process and that he is now unable to pay for a legal team. He has told Hogan Lovells that he will now be defending himself and writing hand-written letters in Russian as he is not comfortable with computers. 

Shipyards

His legal battle started last year. The DIA is blaming him for a US$2b shortfall at Mezhprombank, a bank that he co-founded. Mr Pugachev denies all wrong-doing and blames shortfalls on state misappropriation of the bank's assets including the firesale of two shipyards for a seventh of their real value. 

Abuse

He told The Financial Times that DIA's pursuit of him was an abuse of the UK legal system. He said: 'The fact that there is lawlessness in Russia is clear. But why is the English court system taking part in this?' He continued: 'The English court system is like the English queen. It cannot be that in the English court something is wrong. But what has been happening in my case I did not even see at the Basmanny court...First the state stole my assets and then it came to London and got a freezing order and demanded I give them another $2bn.' Source: Financial Times