News

THE PRESIDENT

- Vladimir Putin

After becoming president vowing to strengthen the 'power vertical', Putin has done that, but at the cost of weakening parliament, the media and the judiciary

THE ENFORCER

- Igor Sechin

Deputy chief of staff Chairman of Rosneft and considered one of the least public and most powerful figures, Sechin is also from St Petersburg and the FSB

THE BANKER

- Andrei Kazmin

CEO, Sberbank As head of state-owned Sberbank, Kazmin is practically head of a ministry. Sberbank accounts for more than 40% of Russian deposits

THE REFORMERS

- Anatoly Chubais

CEO, Rao Ues A leading reformer of the Yeltsin years, Chubais' leadership of electric utility Rao Ues has seen his ambitious reform of the sector

THE OLIGARCHS

- Mikhail Khodorkovsky

Ex-owner of Yukos One of the oligarchs who crossed Putin and lived to regret it, Khodorkovsky is serving a jail term in a Siberian prison

- Roman Abramovich

Millhouse Capital Although considered the Yelstsin family's banker, Abramovich has developed a close relationship with Putin

THE POSSIBLE SUCCESSORS

- Sergei Ivanov

Minister for defence Tipped as the most likely successor to Putin, Ivanov comes from KGB successor FSB and is in control of Russia's military-industrial complex

- Dmitri Medvedev

Deputy prime minister A former colleague of Putin's from St Petersburg and chairman of Gazprom, Medvedev is the West's favourite successor candidate

- Vladimir Yakunin

Head of Russian Railways Also from St Petersburg and the FSB, Yakunin runs one of the largest railway companies in the world, but is likely to enter politics soon

- German Gref

Minister of economics and trade Hugely powerful, Gref and his ministry are in charge of the efforts to stimulate investment. It's the ideal contact for foreign investors

- Oleg Deripaska

Basic Element Worth about $9 billion, Deripaska is perhaps the most successful private businessman. His assets include Russian Aluminium and car manufacturer Gaz.