Kommersant
1. Sergei Strokan and Maxim Yusin article headlined "Yulia Tymoshenko given chance once again" says that former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has recently been released, has overshadowed the leaders of the Maidan protest and become the central figure in the Ukrainian political life; pp 1, 6 (802 words).
2. Alexei Dospekhov article headlined "Games worth Sochi" says that Russia has won the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi; pp 1, 12 (1,292 words).
3. Alexander Igorev and Alexander Zheglov article headlined "Change takes place in anti-corruption fight" says that the head of the Interior Ministry's main directorate for economic security and combating of corruption, Denis Sugrobov, has been sacked following a high-profile corruption scandal involving his subordinates; pp 1, 4 (788 words).
4. Article by the newspaper's financial, business and consumer market sections headlined "Risky investment roaming" looks at how the Ukrainian political crisis has affected the Russian economy; pp 1, 10 (1,582 words).
5. Maria-Luiza Tirmaste et al. article headlined "Igor Koshin called for Nenets election" says that President Vladimir Putin has appointed Federation Council member Igor Koshin as the acting governor of Yamal-Nenets autonomous district; p 2 (682 words).
6. Yury Belov article headlined "Self-nominees fail signature campaign" says that a mere 18 of 32 candidates, including four self-nominees, will stand in the early mayoral election in Novosibirsk scheduled for 6 April. Twelve independent candidates out of 16 had to withdraw from the election campaign; p 2 (415 words).
7. Sergei Mashkin article headlined "General's defense broken through" says that the lawyer of the former commander of the Ground Troops, Vladimir Chirkin, charged with bribe-taking, has been disqualified for an attempt to exert pressure on the complainant; p 4 (785 words).
8. Dmitry Shcherbakov article headlined "Exiled businessman violates resort law" says that a native of Russia, who was put on the international wanted list in late 2000s on charges of being involved in extortion, has been detained in Thailand; p 4 (429 words).
9. Sergei Titov and Ivan Safronov article headlined "Military UAV goes AWOL" says that an unknown military unmanned aerial vehicle has been detected in the sky over Ulyanovsk; p 4 (605 words).
10. Ivan Tyazhlov article headlined "Bolotnaya case being heard outdoors" says that a verdict on eight defendants in the so-called Bolotnaya case of the 6 May 2012 unrest on Moscow's Bolotnaya Ploshchad is expected to be passed today. After the verdict is pronounced, the opposition is going to hold an unauthorized rally on Moscow's Manezhnaya square; p 5 (453 words).
11. Ilya Barabanov article headlined "Nonpresidential form of government" says that a change of power has taken place in Ukraine after a new speaker of the parliament was appointed acting Ukrainian president; p 6 (1,073 words).
12. Unattributed article headlined "What will Yulia Tymoshenko succeed in?" features comments from Russian politicians and experts on the political future of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has recently been released from prison; p 6 (429 words).
13. Olga Mordyushenko and Kirill Melnikov article headlined "Rosneft gives up TNK-BP's heritage" says that the Russian oil company Rosneft has begun to sell TNK-BP's gas processing business; p 9 (555 words).
14. Andrei Kolesnikov report "Games played by 100 percent" comments on the atmosphere in Sochi and sums up the results of the Olympic Games; p 1 of Kommersant BoscoSport supplement (700 words).
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
1. Alexandra Samarina article headlined "Labor army may turn into fifth column" says that the National Strategy Institute has completed the first part of large-scale study on the influence of migration on social and political life in Russia. Experts see measures being taken by the authorities as erroneous or inefficient and suggest introducing visa regime; pp 1, 3 (977 words).
2. Anastasia Bashkatova article headlined "Plucked ruble helps close budget holes" says that according to Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, the rubles rate is ranked together with unstable currencies of Indonesia, South Africa, Brazil, Turkey and India and the depreciated rubles has helped Russia cope with the budget deficit; pp 1, 4 (948 words).
3. Alina Kukhta article headlined "Russia is inflation champion in G8" says that the 2013 inflation rate in Russia has turned to be the highest among the Group of Eight member states; pp 1, 4 (568 words).
4. Tatyana Ivzhenko article headlined "Yulia Tymoshenko: if not become prime minister, then president" says that the new prime minister will be appointed in Ukraine on Feb. 25. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who has recently been released, was considered by the parliament to be the most probable candidate for the post; pp 1, 7 (1,645 words).
5. Alexei Gorbachev article headlined "Verdict on Bolotnaya defendants may trigger new protests" says that the opposition in Moscow is planning to stage an unauthorized protest if defendants in the Bolotnaya case of the 6 May 2012 riots on Moscow's Bolotnaya Ploshchad are not freed; p 2 (506 words).
6. Darya Tsilyurik article headlined "UN Security Council reaches shaky compromise on Syria" says that the UN Security Council has unanimously approved resolution No 2139, which calls for stopping violence against civil population in Syria and increasing humanitarian aid to it; p 2 (577 words).
7. Viktor Shestakov article published in the regular Carte Blanche column headlined "Ukraine under assault rifle" says that the end of fighting on Kiev's Maidan square does not mean the end of violence and political confrontation in the country; p 3 (659 words).
8. Dmitry Andreyev article headlined "Pseudo-authorities and their servants" says that Russia is facing a deficit of experts and contemplates possible ways out of the situation; p 9 (2,647 words).
Vedomosti
1. Alexei Nikolsky et al. article headlined "Ukraine's new face" says that released Yulia Tymoshenko may head Ukraine as she suits the most powerful forces both inside and outside Ukraine; pp 1-2 (950 words).
2. Editorial headlined "Russian character" says that Russia has triumphed over the Winter Olympics in Sochi; pp 1, 6 (500 words).
3. Anastasia Kornya article headlined "Prison term after truce" says that defendants in the Bolotnaya case of the 6 May 2012 unrest on Moscow's Bolotnaya Ploshchad have been found guilty, but punishment will be imposed on them after the Olympics, which means that it will be strict; p 2 (500 words).
4. Editorial headlined "'Big brother' syndrome" tries to determine Russia's role in the developments in Ukraine and forecast Russia's policy on the new Ukrainian authorities; p 6 (600 words).
5. Vladimir Fedorin article headlined "End to Medvedev's doctrine" says that Russia needs to change its policy on the post-Soviet space; pp 6-7 (2,000 words).
6. Maxim Glikin article headlined "Man of week: Viktor Yanukovych" says that President Viktor Yanukovych has been ousted from the Ukrainian political scene faster than one can expect despite being legitimate and enjoying support from Russia; p 7 (350 words).
Izvestia
1. Andranik Keropyan and Kirill Plankin article headlined "Lords of Olympic rings" says that Russia has won the Olympics in Sochi; pp 1, 5 (1,039 words).
2. Boris Mezhuyev article headlined "One for all" comments on Russia's victory in the 2014 Winter Olympics as a uniting factor for Russian people; pp 1, 4 (632 words).
3. Yegor Sozayev-Guriyev article headlined "Sochi says goodbye to Olympics" focuses on the closing ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics; pp 1, 4 (486 words).
4. Kirill Plankin brief interview with Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, headlined "'Criticism is ridiculous and unjustified'", who praises the Olympics in Sochi; pp 1, 4 (424 words).
5. Natalia Bashlykova interview with newly appointed acting governor of Yamal-Nenets autonomous district Igor Koshin, headlined "'I want to make region area of love'", speaking about his appointment and first steps on the new post; p 6 (550 words).
6. Andrei Gridasov and Pavel Kochegarov article headlined "General Sugrobov suffers from instigation to bribery" says that the head of the Interior Ministry's main directorate for economic security and combating of corruption, Denis Sugrobov, has been sacked following a scandal involving directorate officers who have been suspected of instigating bribery; p 7 (647 words).
7. Svetlana Subbotina article headlined "Sergei Stepashin to discuss Christians' problems with Pope" previews former Audit Chamber head Sergei Stepashin's meeting with the Pope on Feb. 26. Stepashin is currently heading the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society; p 7 (617 words).
8. Serbian journalist Miodrag Milikic interview with representatives of Montenegro's Tax Service, headlined "'Navalny signs contract to set up company'", speaking about Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny "owning a company in Montenegro"; p 7 (909 words).
9. Vladimir Zykov article headlined "Yelena Mizulina asks Roskomnadzor to check Yandex browser" says that according to a number of IT specialists, a browser created by Russian search engine Yandex allows to look through websites blacklisted by the Roskomnadzor media watchdog; p 7 (608 words).
10. Igor Karaulov article headlined "Return of Mishka [bear]" says that the Winter Olympics in Sochi has become a display of Russian success and has shown that the country is ready for large projects as opposed to protest-stricken Ukraine, which got stuck in the early 1990s; p 9 (807 words).
11. Political analyst Timofei Bordachev article headlined "To learn lessons, become stronger" says that the Ukrainian political crisis is the best reason for Russia to ponder on the effectiveness of its policy on the post-Soviet space; p 9 (847 words).
12. Mikhail Shakhnazarov article headlined "Medal boost" praises Russian athletes' performance at the Olympics; p 9 (838 words).
13. Yelena Malai article headlined "Communist Party deputies to demand dismissal of ambassador" says that deputy head of the State Duma International Affairs Committee Leonid Kalashnikov has prepared a bill on the dismissal of the Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov for "incompetence"; p 10 (670 words).
14. Konstantin Volkov interview with the head of the State Duma International Affairs Committee Alexei Pushkov, headlined "'Yulia Tymoshenko does not satisfy all opposition leaders'", speaking about the release of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her political prospects; p 10 (385 words).
Rossiiskaya Gazeta
1. Yevgeny Shestakov article headlined "Yanukovych led to Europe, but walked over" blames ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych for the bloodshed and the split of the country as he had an opportunity to stop the uncontrolled development of the situation without use of force, but stalled for time by refusing to make decisions preventing a coup; pp 1, 9 (1,052 words).
2. Vladislav Vorobyev article headlined "You, undersigned" criticizes the U.S., France, Germany and Poland for a double-standard policy on Ukraine. In public, these countries promise to use all possible means to achieve peace in Ukraine, but do nothing to this effect in practice, article says; pp 1, 9 (742 words).
3. Yury Politov article headlined "Grounds out of schedule" says that President Vladimir Putin has signed a law establishing additional grounds for carrying out unscheduled audits of noncommercial organizations; p 2 (285 words).
4. Yury Gavrilov article headlined "Soldier's choice" says that the government has submitted to the State Duma a bill granting future servicemen a choice between one-year conscription and two-year contract services; p 7 (409 words).
5. Susanna Alperina interview with television journalist Vladimir Soloviyev, the presenter of the "Voskresny Vecher," or "Sunday Night," program on Rossia 1 channel, headlined "Monday morning", expressing his view of the situation in Ukraine; p 9 (956 words).
6. Maxim Makarychev report "Ukraine. Damned days" looks at the situation in Ukraine and says that the country has been hit by violence; pp 1, 8 (850 words).
7. Yekaterina Zabrodina report "Split?" says that the southeast of Ukraine is ready to "protect itself from the threats and acts of provocation of Maidan's radicals". The article is followed by comments by Ukrainian politicians; pp 1, 8 (450 words).
8. Maxim Makarychev report "Interior Ministry awaits lustration" looks at the reshuffle at the Ukrainian Interior Ministry and says that "heirs of fascism will be in charge of the Ukrainian police"; p 8 (200 words).
Moskovsky Komsomolets
1. Mikhail Rostovsky article headlined "Yanukovych falls, forget him!" comments on a coup in Ukraine; pp 1-2 (1,041 words).
2. Marina Perevozkina article headlined "Revolutionary power established in Kiev" describes the state of affairs in the Ukrainian capital city Kiev; pp 1-2 (1,545 words).
3. Marina Ozerova article headlined "Is there life after revolution?" features experts' comments on prospects for the development of the political situation in Ukraine; p 3 (1,541 words).
4. Ilya Baranikas interview with U.S. expert Alexander Motyl, headlined "'Split of Ukraine is fabrication'", speaking about the developments in Ukraine; p 3 (432 words).
5. Oleg Bazak article headlined "Tymoshenko returns to Kiev, and politics" says that the early presidential election in Ukraine is scheduled for 25 May and looks at the most probable candidates for the presidential post; p 3 (1,107 words).
6. Brief unattributed report "Olympics in Sochi end in our way" looks at the results achieved by the Russian team in Sochi; p 1 (100 words).
Noviye Izvestia
1. Yana Sergeyeva article headlined "Who to blame and what to do" describes the situation in Ukraine and contemplates prospects for its development; pp 1-2 (1,037 words).
2. Yelena Ryzhova article headlined "'Policemen's actions looked like ruse'" features comments from film director Pavel Bardin on his detention during the Feb. 21 rally held in front of the building of Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky District Court in protest against the verdict passed on the defendants in the Bolotnaya case, the first part of which was announced that day; pp 1, 5 (677 words).
3. Vardan Ogandzhanyan article headlined "Kiev should not become front of new cold war" says that the political crisis in Ukraine is in the spotlight in the global political and media arena; p 2 (485 words).
4. Gennady Petrov interview with Fedor Lukyanov, chairman of the presidium of the Foreign and Defense Policy Council NGO, headlined "'I do not see why Ukrainian political culture should change'", speaking about what the future has in store for Ukraine and prospects for the development of Ukraine's relations with Russia and other foreign countries; p 2 (728 words).
5. Sergei Putilov article headlined "Deep freeze" says that the developments in Ukraine have delayed economic integration between Moscow and Kiev for years; p 3 (724 words).
6. Anna Alexeyeva article headlined "Monday begins on Friday" says that about 1,000 people gathered in front of the building of Moscow's Zamoskvoretsky District Court on Feb. 21 to protest against the verdict passed on the defendants in the Bolotnaya case, the first part of which was read then; p 5 (896 words).
RBK Daily
1. Yevgenya Korytina and Vladimir Pavlov article headlined "Lord of the rings" says the Sochi Olympics have been a success but have not caused an increase in Vladimir Putin's rating; pp 1, 10 (600 words).
2. Unattributed article headlined "Weakening economy — weakening Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev about the poor state of Russian economy; pp 1, 5 (2,800 words).
3. Stepan Opalev and Alexander Polotsky article headlined "Fatherland takes Ukraine" says Yanukovych has been overthrown and Yulia Tymoshenko's supporters have taken key posts in Ukraine; pp 1-2 (600 words).
Novaya Gazeta
1. Andrei Kolesnikov op-ed headlined "Ukrainian-style Bonapartism" says the Ukrainian crisis is a result of the Russian imperial expansionism; p 14 (400 words).
2. Dmitry Bykov article headlined "Alexei Venediktov: 'Me and Putin will go away at the same time'" is an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio editor Venediktov, who comments on the appointment by Gazprom of a new Ekho Moskvy director general; pp 16-17 (1,100 words).
Komsomolskaya Pravda
1. Andrei Baranov op-ed headlined "Battle for Ukraine. Everything is just starting?" slams Yanukovych for trying to manouvre between the East and West; p 8 (600 words).
2. Yegor Kholmogorov op-ed headlined "Time to save our people" says Moscow needs to save Russians in Eastern Ukraine; p 10 (300 words).
3. Andrei Baranov article headlined "There will be attempt of aggressive incorporation of Eastern Ukraine" is an interview with Russian pundit Alexei Vlasov saying that the U.S. is provoking Russia to make some decisive steps as regards Ukraine; p 10 (400 words).
Feb. 24, 2014 / BBC Monitoring / ©BBC
