LONDON, March 6. /TASS/. Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov said in a statement received by TASS on Friday that an acute form of leukemia was diagnosed with him.

"Over recent days, there has been speculation regarding my absence from public view, especially in light of the current legal proceedings," the businessman said, speaking about litigation in the London court in respect of claims made by US internal revenue authorities.

"While I would have preferred to avoid any disclosure on this topic, the time has come to disclose that I have acute leukemia. I was diagnosed last October, and I have already had several rounds of chemotherapy," the businessman said.

"I have had many uphill battles in my time, but this will be the biggest yet, as I fight for my life. Huge thanks to my friends, my children, and my wife, who have all rallied around me and supported me with their love," Tinkov noted.

"Thank god everything is fine with the company. There is an excellent team there led by Oliver [House], who has been running the business since I basically stepped back from day-to-day management a couple of years ago. They have been doing an amazing job keeping things going according to plan, so fortunately I don’t need to worry on that point," the businessman said.

"With respect to the US issues relating to my taxes from the past, I have hired lawyers to work on this issue, leaving me to focus on my main battle. This is undoubtedly the hardest period of my life, but I am counting on God, my body, my friends and your support," he added.