Kirov governor under pressure
The federal investigative committee said the office of Kirov governor Nikita Belykh was searched as part of an investigation into the alleged theft of 90 million roubles (about £1.9m).
A former moderate opposition party leader, Mr Belykh was appointed in 2009 by then-president Dmitry Medvedev in what was seen as an effort to appease liberals pushed to the margins during Mr Putin’s 2000-08 presidency and ally them with the Kremlin. Mr Putin returned to the presidency in May after four years as prime minister.
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Hide Ad“The searches in Nikita’s office are a clear sign of the end of the ‘Medvedev thaw’,” Maria Gaidar, a former deputy to Mr Belykh, said on Twitter.
The investigative committee said police, FSB securit